Thing #23

Wow, my favorite items on this journey? I think that would be the image makers, Rollyo, and learning about how to create wikis, and podcasts. My lifelong learning goals were changed because I now feel the pressures of keeping up with the fast paced technological advances of today and the future. I had no idea there were so many things out there available to students to work (and play) with to help them learn and succeed in the classroom. When I realized all of the fun activities I could have been doing, it makes me sad for the children who missed those opportunities. I now feel the need to pass this and any new information on to future teachers so that other students do not miss out on this and any other new information. I think almost the whole staff development was new to me. The only thing I had worked with before was Del.icio.us, blogs, YouTube/TeacherTube (although not how to embed them) and a few of the image makers. You all have taught me an arsenal of new things to take back and share this next school year. I think the program was terrific and would like to know if you all grant permission for us to use this site/idea for our own faculty. The only problem I encountered was trying to get everything done before the end of the semester with the other items we had to complete for the class. If another class such as this was offered I would DEFINITELY want to participate! In six words, I would describe my experience as, “An amazing 21st century educational experience!” Thank you!!


Made with free image tools @ TXT2PIC.com

Thing #22

I really liked TeacherLingo (http://teacherlingo.com/) the best out of the three Nings we looked at. I loved all of the different support it provided for teachers. For example, you could share ideas, ask questions, and get information from other teachers. You could also locate lesson plans and teacher blogs (including some of ours) very easily by clicking on file-like tabs at the top of the website page. Some of the other Nings might have provided these things, but I found them more time consuming and cumbersome to explore. This was very user-friendly. I think it would be a good way to keep abreast to teachers’ needs and to meet them (be a mind reader). Also, being an educator, all of the wonderful resources it provides are just as useful for us.

Thing #21

This was the hardest one yet for me! I had to call in reinforcements to be able to complete it. I had difficulty using Switchpod and had to ask another student how to get my information in it. Hopefully all will work correctly! (I apologize for the mispronunciation of the author's name. Gotta love teenagers!)

Book talk Holes by Louis Sachar
http://media.switchpod.com//users/ldavis/1002226.MOV


Book talk Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
http://media.switchpod.com//users/ldavis/1002229.MOV

I think now that I have it it will be fun to do with kids, but I think a Creative Commons video, or some other how to video (in extremely easy to follow detail) needs to be made. I also don't like that you have to copy the link and then paste them elswhere to be able to view them. It seems like unnecessary steps.

Thing #20

On YouTube, I picked Instructional Technology: Looking Backward, Thinking Forward to watch. It shows how technology has evolved through the years. I think it might be eye opening to some to see how much some classrooms still look like the classrooms of the past.


On TeacherTube, I watched the video Learning, Sharing & Connecting Online with 6 & 7 year olds!

I know often times teachers of first and second graders don't want to go to a flexible schedule because they don't feel that their students are able to do what the "older" students are capable of doing. I'd like to find a lot of videos like these so that teachers can see exactly what the younger children are capable of given the chance.
The only thing I found really frustrating was the buffering portion of the videos. It stopped the video every few seconds to continue buffering.

Thing #19

I think the award list is a terrific idea! It gives teachers and librarians a place to go to find some of the best Web2.0 sites. For those who don't know where to start, this is an easy to read chart with a huge amount of well organized resources. One of the areas I looked at was Homecoming Events and Things to Do (http://upcoming.yahoo.com/ ). This could be helpful to a school to post important events that will be occurring at their school, perhaps a carnival, book fair, etc. Not only would word be spread through their school website (assuming they have one!), now it'd be in another area, too. I found out a lot of neat things are happening in Houston that I didn't know about. It gives you places and times! I wish I had known about this at the beginning of the summer with my kids...we would have been able to do a lot of neat things.
Also, as a personal site, if you love to listen to music, but get tired of flipping through radio stations check out Pandora (http://www.pandora.com/) . It's really neat!

Thing #18

As I said in Thing #7, one of the reasons I like Google Docs was because several teachers could be involved working on one document. This would be useful for teachers trying to work out a rubric together, translating letters, etc.
I thought OpenOffice.org was a great alternative to the Microsoft Office program which cost consumers money. For those unable or unwilling to purchase the MS Office program, they are receiving a package that is very similar in nature. OpenOffice.org could be used in all of the variety of ways teachers use Microsoft Office now. Powerpoints, word documents, and spreadsheets could all be created and then saved in several different formats (Microsoft Word '98, 2000, etc.). A great, free, alternative to Microsoft Office.

Thing #17

Wow! I think Rollyo just became one of my favorite sites. I love the fact that you only have to type the Rollyo site and any of the sites that you previously liked and marked are there! I've already gone back through Things 1-16 and saved some of the sites there. It has made finding the Comic Strip Generator, etc. even easier. The other one I started was for book vendors. http://www.rollyo.com/index.html It is so quick and easy! I think the teachers are going to love this tool in the classroom for research. I know I will (and would have as a teacher)! Although helpful to all students because of the lower amount of sites returned (based on information the teacher enters), it would be especially beneficial to very young students and/or special education students. Super site (and fantastic how-to video!).

Thing #16

First the Sandbox post posed a challenge to me because I have gotten so caught up in creating passwords and usernames I automatically started to do the same. Then I realized we were to use the provided one.....sorry!! However, I did go in and delete where I had asked for permission to join, so hopefully no harm, no foul. (Atleast I knew how to fix the error on the Wiki page, right?) The posting part is easy and, as I found out in my mid-term project the setup of one is effortless. I will definitely give Wikis a try this year. I will start with an adult book club first though to work out some of the kinks (get the teachers hooked, too). If the teachers are having fun doing it, I'm hoping they will see how fun it would be for their kids and it will help me give them a nudge in the right direction.

Thing #15

Librarians need to adapt and change as users' needs change. With technology changing as quickly as it is, it is up to librarians to stay on top of new information and continue teaching students in ways that will impact them now and in the future, not continue to teach them using outdated methods. Tom Storey address this in him article Where will the next generation Web take libraries? (http://www.oclc.org/nextspace/002/1.htm). Students are connecting to the internet and to computers in ways we never dreamed of a few years ago. To keep learners engaged we must use the tools and sites that interest them: iPods, MP3s, Flickr, YouTube, etc. Teachers and librarians have the ability to reach their students in a powerful way if only they realize that this generation's of learners is different than that of their own. And that part of their responsibilities as educators is to keep up with the new trends in technology so that their lessons can be as meaningful, as engaging, and useful as possible.

Thing #14

I found Technorati to be the most confusing tool we've used so far. I think it is going to take me quite some time to be able to navigate it effectively. I'm sure it is quite useful in filtering out the numerous blogs that you do not want to look at, since it filters based on your searches. One of the most important things a blog publisher needs to do is to create meaningful tags so that their information can be easily accessed by readers.

Thing #13

I love Del.icio.us! I hate it when I have something bookmarked at home, get to work and try to go there, ony to realize it is on my computer at home. With Del.icio.us, that problem is solved. With the buttons quickly and simply loaded onto your computer, bookmarking sites is just a click away. After that, I don't have to try to remember what computer I put it on....the laptop? school? desktop computer? I can go to any computer, anywhere and pull up my favorites. This will be especially useful when collaborating with teachers and during faculty trainings. All of these great sites can be bookmarked on Del.icio.us and then no matter what teacher's room I am working in (or training in), I can quickly access any of the sites without searching for them.

Thing #12

The two items I thought were important were (1) to make sure you understand the post before responding to it and (2) to be polite when responding. Often times, people comment on posts incorrectly after misreading what was originally written. This not only confuses the issues, but wastes the time of the readers. It is also very important that when responding to posts that it is done so in a polite way. If you want your opinions to be read you should approach it in a professional manner. Blogs are areas where people can trade information....no one wants to "talk" to someone who is disrespectful and rude.
I added two blogs to my Google Reader. They were the NASCAR blog and Along Came An Angel. I chose them for obviously two different reasons. I picked the NASCAR one, because for a large portion of the season the races are only televised on cable. We do not have cable television and therefore, I miss a lot of the action that occurs throughout the season. (Which drives--no pun intended-- me INSANE by the way!!!) By following a blog, I can get updates of what occurs during the races that week, information on the racers, and other important information. I picked the Along Came An Angel blog because it gives stories of what people believe to be life altering encounters with angels. In days filled with craziness, depressing stories on the news, and negativity among people, it's nice to read a story that you know is going to have a positive, happy ending no matter what the forces at play were or what your beliefs are. In the end you know there is a family that has their loved one with them and the negativity of the day evaporates the more you surround yourself with the positive (people, thoughts, and/or ideas).
(If you did not see the special last night "The Last Lecture" I recommend you try to see if anyone has it....talk about a positive person!)

Thing #11

I enjoyed LibraryThing. I think it would be useful in getting ideas from other people on books I am thinking about ordering for the library. I could also use it to build a list of books I would like to order in the future based off of needs assessments and student/teacher recommendations. I like that the pictures of the books are available to see as well. Another item I really liked about the site was that you could look the author up and it provided the list of books by that author, complete with the titles and pictures. This helps when ordering a book out of magazines to know that you are getting the right edition or book. The group section was also neat, however, I did not find it personally as useful as the rest of the site. Below are a couple of the books that I put on LibraryThing. If you have not read a Scaredy Squirrel book by Melanie Watt, go pick one up....they are so funny and the kids love them!!

Thing #10

As you can see, I am on Thing #10.........

Made with free image tools @ TXT2PIC.com
And this one is so fun AND easy! My one eyed monster was quickly made filling in a template and then copying and pasting the code on the "Edit Html" part of the "Create A Blog" section. Then I resized it as I wanted. I love creating fun things like this, so this has been my favorite activity so far.


Made with free image tools @ TXT2PIC.com

Teachers could use these in class to encourage writing in their classroom, to create story prompts, create signs, have students use them to add character/humor to projects. They could be used in a variety of ways; with a creative mind, the possibilities are endless.

Thing #9

When chosing a blog finding tool, I found Technorati http://www.technorati.com/ one of the easiest for me to use. I liked that this site had a directory that I could use to narrow my search with. The site also offers the option of a regular search if the user is unable to select a category to narrow down their searches.
I did not like Syndic8 as much because I did not like skimming over the links that were in foreign languages and the various feeder tags that sent you to PayPal to pay for the ability to view the materials.

Thing #8

I chose to join Google Reader. The blogs I added were LibrarianPhilosopher, A Library by Any Other Name, Books and Bytes: Inspiring Elementary School Blogs, EdTech Talk, and Rummel Creek Musings. As my news site, I added Channel 2 News. When looking through the various blogs, I found a really neat link on A Library by Any Other Name; it was http://digiteen.wikispaces.com/. If you click on the link on 2A, the second video is a YouTube video on MySpace safety that I think would be good for any student who is using MySpace or surfing the web.
I liked that I could keep information that interested me all in one area and not have to continuously look up the same sites to see if there was new information posted. With so much to do at work and home, I think it will be a terrific time-saving tool.

Thing #7

The two items I looked into further were Google Docs and Google Notebook. I really liked Google Docs since I often have letters that need to be sent home translated. Occasionally a teacher will ask you to double check an accent, sentence, etc. with another bilingual teacher before sending the letter home. I think it is great that by using Google Docs, I could send the document to a couple of the teachers and they could collaborate in the translation.
The other one I looked at was Google Notebook. I know I will be able to put it to good use when doing research. I like that you can add notes after you copy and paste pictures, text, etc. into the notebook. This feature allows you to stay organized as you work.

Thing #6

Wow! Not only did I not know what mashups were, but I definitely did not know you could do so many neat things using them. I loved the name tags. When creating a book club, name tags could easily (and cheaply) be made for the students. These name tags could be made to look more professional, thus making the students feel more special. They would also be great to use for afterschool and/or before school passes. I also liked the mosaics you could create using a variety of photos. I was very surprised with the variety of items you could create using mashups. It seemed like the choices were endless!

Thing #5

I enjoyed exploring Flickr. One of the aspects I think I like the most is that you can choose whether you want a small, medium, or large picture inserted into your document. I hate sizing, resizing, and resizing again pictures. This seems a lot quicker and easier to do. I also liked that paired with Creative Commons a user was more aware of copyright and what you could and could not do with the images.

Thing #4

Due to registering my blog on a different computer, I believe there were some technical (ok, operator) difficulties. I am resending my information today to that Thing #4 can be successfully be completed.

Thing #3-Blogs and Avatars

Since I have had another experience creating a blog in a previous class, this step was not difficult. However, the links provided a nice refresher. The creation of avatars was new and very interesting! I did not know there were so many different variations! You could play for hours looking at all of the different combinations that could be created. The avatar was extremely easy to create and to add to the blog. I think it allows the author of the site a chance to express themselves in a way you might not see through their text.

Thing #2- 7 1/2 habits

The easiest habit for me was beginning with the end in mind (#1). I like to be able to formulate a plan so that I can systematically cross the steps off (either in my mind or that I've written down) as I complete them. As the steps are crossed off, I feel less stress as I feel that I am approaching the "finish line".
The hardest was 7 1/2-- playing. I always feel guilty just taking time out for me. I play with my family, although I still feel guilty at times even for doing that because I know I have a paper due, a project to do, or something at work to finish. (So even that is not as often as I'd like.) But even harder is just me time....reading a book (non-class related), watching t.v., etc. I feel like I am shirking responsibility. Therefore, this was definitely the hardest one for me.