Experience with Web Browsers

Today we were assigned to create a Diigo account. Diigo is a social bookmarking site. You have the option to install a Diigolet which is a browser add on that will allow you to highlight, annotate, and bookmark websites as well as so much more. A browser add on is an installable enhancement. These can modify existing features or give you new features. An example of an add on is a toolbar. I currently use an AOL toolbar in my internet explorer browser. This is useful because it gives me a search bar and lets me add favorite links so that I can access my most visited websites such as my mail and Facebook faster. In the past I have used an AVG toolbar but I found it just took up space and I didn't use it for anything other than the search bar. I have also used the favorites bar for internet explorer. I now use the Diigolet for this class. I also use the favorites feature for Internet explorer. I have found that if an add on is useful to me I will keep it. Otherwise, I try to get rid of it if at all possible. I especially do not like them if they slow down my computer or I have trouble installing them. The Diigolet installed very smoothly, but I have had trouble with active X controls in the past.

Here is a link to my Diigo page as well as to the Diigo site and the Diigolet for those of you who are interested.

I believe this activity matches ISTE NETS T standard 3. Standard 3 states that teachers should exhibit knowledge, skills, and work processes representative of an innovative professional in a global and digital society. This activity shows us how to use a new technology (social bookmarking) so that we can use it to enhance our classroom skills. Social bookmarking will let me connect with other teachers and learn new ways to teach my students. It can also help me connect with students and parents on the web. This technology will help my organize and manage links I can use to further my teaching expertise. I will also be able to share this tool with my students so that they can organize their online lives, connect with others, and search for information that interests them.