Thing #12

I chose to set up a Google Alert system and an iGoogle page. I really like the Google alert system. It is an easy way to keep up with current events (i chose to receive emails about Iran, Oil, and Solar Power) and blends seamlessly with my gmail account. The only thing I do not like about this is that my topics are so broad that I receive a LONG email, with too many links to really explore. Eventually, I will probably discard this service or I will choose a narrower topic. As it is, I simply do not have the time or energy to browse all the links.

My iGoogle page is another story entirely. I have had one for a few years now, and love it. It gives me a home on the internet, with links to a few news stories, a map of my hometown, weather, a to-do list, and calendar with upcoming events. This transforms the internet from an impersonal place to a personal place. Instead of going to the internet, the internet comes to me. This seems to be the aim of all these Web 2.0 tools we have been exploring - making the internet work for the user, instead of the other way around.

What do you think? Have you started making the internet work for you? In the 21st century, do you think that it would be importatnt to teach students how to do this? After all, this seems to be the wave of the future, so it makes sense that students need to know how to use the internet efficiently and appropriately.