Jose,
As the Youtube video you presented stated…"it's an amazing time to be in education. It's a totally different classroom than the one that we grew up in." I think that incorporating tablets in the classroom along with programs such as Google Play is a very smart thing to do. These tools are extremely powerful to use, as technology is the culture of the current student generation. It gives students and teachers instant feedback on comprehension. Incorporating tablet technology in the classroom is a great idea. But yes, it can take the role of a baby sitter as was previously mentioned, if the teacher is not tech savvy herself and does not know how to maneuver the instruction back and forth accordingly.

Lucretia,
I like the idea of being able to integrate technology in the classroom, and then be able to send my students the immediate Google apps that I want them to use. There is a lot of good that comes out of being able to address every student and provide them instant feedback in real time. This would be a great way to help gauge which student needs what type of intervention, and which student can peer tutor another. Google Play can help teachers organize and coordinate their lesson plans. Data is provided instantly to the teacher, and so this individual instruction is priceless. It allows the teacher to see who is reading at a higher wpm, as was mentioned in the online video. Students can also help each other as the tablet is "the new pencil; it's the new book."

Felipe,
I think that you bring up a great point. Teachers need to be provided additional training to really make tablets and programs such as Google Play as effective as possible. It's important to note that if this type of technology is not necessary, then some may be hesitant to use it. For example, I remember one of my mentor teachers having an Elmo in her classroom closet and had it not been for my curiosity she said she would have never used it. So yes, I agree that some prompting is essential for the successful implementation of such technologies. Tablets are quickly becoming the new norm, and so having them in the classroom to assist a teacher's lesson plan is a great idea. Similarly, Google has an abundance of wonderful educational apps that can really assist the classroom teacher.

Abel,
To answer your question- what do you think the future of the higher education campus looks like? I feel that the course that I took with Dr. Rodriguez, a while back, really helped to enlighten me to the great power and promise of the MOOC system. I took an online course through the University of Edinburg, and I received a badge that showed my accomplishment. Surprisingly, it was actually a lot of work. I had to watch many videos since they were prerecorded, and it amazed me that so many people around the world were enrolled at the same time as I. Furthermore, I learned that in the near future more of these online MOOCs are going to begin to offer course credit. However, I don't know how they'd financially benefit from that- but I do see the traditional campus structure shifting dramatically to online classrooms. So I guess as long as there is a framework for making money or gaining recognition, advancement in education will gear its way towards the market of online technology. The reason for this is because the internet makes our world seem smaller, and we can learn from virtually anywhere. People love convenience, and so yes- MOOCS may one day make traditional school systems obsolete. Here is another article that points to the lack of promise of the MOOC system: http://chronicle.com/article/Will-MOOCs-Change-Campus/142869/. This article speaks of the deficiencies within face to face courses. The article compares correspondence courses to what we now see as online courses. Hope you read it and see the other side.

Amanda,
I agree with you that it will take more time for MOOC's effects to really take formidable shape. However, the more acceptance we put into online learning the more that time will decrease. As for myself, I was initially very hesitant to take a MOOC course, but I feel that soon MOOC courses will begin to look extremely good on resumes. I thoroughly enjoyed my MOOC experience and hope that one day these courses will begin to mean more.

Rene,
I also agree with your statements. MOOC's will definitely take some time to become mainstream. I could think back to the first time that I heard about MOOC's and it was a funny experience. My fiancée took several MOOC courses before I ever did. When he first told me about them, I got mad because I thought they were a waist of his time. Funny, but I actually did. I felt that "if you're not going to get course credit, then why do it?" He explained it best- "to me it's not about getting course credit, it's about learning new things." I guess that makes sense. There are so many people that cannot afford to go to college, and so MOOC courses can help them gain an education. For that, MOOC's are extremely powerful and here to stay.

The post that I've selected for my week is very practical. http://web2012.discoveryeducation.com/web20tools.cfm
Educators can use this site as a refrence point to familiarize themselves with Web 2.0 technologies. It has really great Web 2.0 resources that link up to 'Discovery Education' site, of which I use very regularly within my classroom setting. Web 2.0 allows students to create, blog, communicate, and therefore grow as learners, so we should be using these tools to enhance our lessons. As the site states, students are able to collaborate with each other. This can be done from virtually anywhere there is a computer and internet access. The website is more of a resource center that provides links for anyone of my classmates to access. It has presentation, video, mobile, and community tools that help facilitate Web 2.0 technologies for the curious. For example, programs such as Slideshare, Prezi, 280 slides, Picviewer, Animoto, Gizmoz, Photopeach are just a few of the creative ways to communicate and create through Web 2.0 technologies.
* My question to my classmates- Think about the Web 2.0 tools that you currently are using, or would like to use in your classroom. Discuss with the class, what Web 2.0 technology you are using, and why it is so affective in your classroom.

Amanda,
That is neat how the campus is incorporating social media to update students on important news, and everyday happenings. We have definitely become one with the times, and as we know the faster information travels the better for us all. What better way than to use programs like Twitter to provide information "in real time." It's the model of "you think it- post it," which has made this world even smaller. The smart phone and web 2.0 technologies have definitely revolutionized the way people communicate nowadays. I'm glad you found some benefit to my post. It's always informative reading yours.

Rene,
Poll Everywhere is definitely a great Web 2.0 technology that can provide feedback. In an instant, the program can really alter/shift the whole dynamic of a polling situation. The whole cell phone in the classroom really seems scary though. As teachers, we have an intended purpose for these devices- however, not all students will follow that purpose. But I agree that cell phones are definitely very useful in education. I too used Animoto last year for a course, and found it to be very effective when bringing content to life; it is a creative way to showcase one's work. Thanks for replying to my post.