Diigo in the classroom

In addition to 'My Library', there are three other tabs in Diigo which allow you to connect to others in the Diigo world.  You can search bookmarks through the community and search for groups that have similar interests (I have joined two groups, one on cyber-bullying and one on using web 2.0 in the classroom); you can see what has been bookmarked by group members by clicking 'My Groups' or, the preference I set was to have updates emailed to me daily.  You can also follow individuals in 'My Network'.

I feel organized, I feel connected, now, to bring it all together in the classroom... this video shows one use in a classroom setting for research..but, between bookmarking, highlighting and annotating, the options are fairly endless.

A revolution in the way I do things

So long sticky notes, hello Diigo!  It feels like this whole web thing has finally come together for me.  Signing up for an RSS feed reader was the first step.  Instead of taking a backseat approach to new information and ideas, I have a steady stream of them arriving daily on my doorstep - it makes it impossible not to be connected to _________ (insert interests here).  For me, the focus has been on education, partly because of the courses I am taking but mostly because I feel I could use a boost in my teaching.  So, for about a month I was flying down the information highway with lots of great ideas coming my way but, sometimes, it was a bit too much...(drum roll please) like a shining knight, Diigo appeared.  Now I can manage all of the information and find more.

I started by watching a few tutorials on the Diigo website.  I actually watched them a few times while I explored to clear up any confusion I had.


Diigo V4: Research ~ annotate, archive, organize from diigobuzz on Vimeo.

Now, using social bookmarking, I  am actually starting to feel web savvy.  I went through the four courses I am taking and took the time to actually look at the various links that people have posted and bookmarked the ones that interest me.

The process is simple, when I find that interesting article, I click on my diigolet in my favourites and the diigo toolbar pops up and then...

I can add tags, upload the page and save it to a list I have already created.  For example, this is saved in my Web 2.0 list.  Now when I access that list, I have a variety of articles on web 2.0 tools.  Needless to say this is just one of the many lists I have created so far.  Never again will I catch myself wondering "what was that website...", now if I like it, I archive it.

Additional features on the toolbar are sticky note, highlight, and share.  I have used these to highlight important parts of articles and then add notations which can be saved for my reference later (searchable by text, tags or lists) or shared...with people on Diigo or through email.

I chose Diigo over other social bookmarking sites based on Will Richardson's rave reviews; "Diigo...continues to be one of my favourite tools..allows you to begin constructing your own little piece of the Web, it's a way of organizing it for yourself and for those you are collaborating with." (Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms, p. 92). 

Ways to Evaluate Educational Apps

Tony Vincent's Learning in Hand - Blog - Ways to Evaluate Educational Apps | Diigo

As I was getting aquainted with Diigo I found this rubric for evaluating apps.

Inquiry Proposal

Originally, I had planned a combination of tools designed for advanced and intermediate users for my Web 2.0 Inquiry.  Now, seeing myself for the novice I am, I stopped focusing on the cool tools I could use and looked instead to my goals for this adventure*.

#1 - I want to create a multimodal presentation. 

I want it to have interactive images, video and my voice.  My Dad always said "anything worth doing is worth doing well" and though annoying to hear as a child, it is really true.  I realize now that some of my past creations were not this.  I want to show myself that I can create a presentation to be proud of. 

#2 - I want to be a more efficient user of the Web.

I want to be Web literate.  To me, this means being able to access information easily and effectively; and then, to actually use the information. 

#3 - I want to edit photos.  

I love taking pictures but I have never used a photo editor it is something I really want to learn how to do.

#4 - I want to build a strong foundation of knowledge that I can use as a platform for learning and teaching Web 2.0 tools. 

With my goals as the cornerstone, I looked for tools which would help me reach them.

#1 - Photoediting and Photosharing
#2 - Voicethread
#3 - Social Bookmarking
#4 - RSS and Blog Aggregators (i.e. Google Reader)
#5 - Blogging
#6 - Glogster

I tried to organize my time effectively, giving one to two weeks to explore a specific tool, especially during times where there is overlap or other commitments.  During my set exploration weeks, my weekly blog postings will serve as evidence of the trials and triumphs of my adventures.

*Technically it is an assignment but, to have value to me, I consider it an adventure I am choosing to embark on.