Is it the End or Only the Beginning?

I think that my favorite thing is the LiveBinders. I thought that I would use Del.icio.us for organization until I got to Thing #22. I also like Animoto, it is so easy to use and gives a professional appearance. Google Translate is also a wonderful tool that will be useful and fun for the students.
I had always thought that I was pretty good on the technology front until I got to grad school, little did I know that just because I knew more technology than my sisters really didn't mean much! I was really surprised by how little I knew about copyright laws and had never even heard of Creative Commons before.
I think that the program does need some updating and fine-tuning. It was rather inconvenient for links not to open in separate tabs. It would also be nice for the list of things to be at the top of the page instead of the bottom. I have no idea how to operate a white board, so a tutorial on this would have been helpful.
I know that with all of these new skills, I will be a more effective, organized and efficient teacher. This course has given me new tools to differentiate instruction with, something that is definitely essential in keeping students engaged.
The RSS feed will help me stay on top of new developments in web 2.0. I have several websites and blogs in my feed to keep me up-to-date on current issues.
I will definitely keep a classroom blog and now I know how to do it! I think that it is such a great communication tool and I plan on making it as exciting as I can for students and parents alike!

Thing #23

On any of the pages of "Learning 2.0 - 23 Things for Teachers", you can look under the heading "Credits" to find the original authors and permissions granted to use this program. There are several links to follow here and it was very interesting to look at the original Learning 2.0 site and compare the orignal "23 things" to our "23 things".
I will certainly be very careful about what I use in the classroom and give credit to the correct people. Creative Commons takes the guesswork out of that equation. It is important to set a good example for our students and teach them the importance of copyright.

Thing #22

I really like LiveBinders and I have moved quite a few things from "My Favorites" to it, with many more to go. So far I have created binders for Language Arts, Lesson Plans/Worksheets, and History. Here's one of them:

Lesson Plans / Worksheets

This will certainly make my life easier when planning. Students could create their own LiveBinders tailored to their own interests. I could also create LiveBinders for them with pertinent resources for them to explore and use for assignments or to further their understanding on any number of subjects.

Thing #21

Animoto is one of the coolest websites I have seen in a while and I love it! It is so easy to use and makes you look oh so creative! I just used some of their stock photos from nature and Animoto basically does everything else for you. I love to work in my yard and have tons of flowers so the end product came out very customized for me and my interests. This would be fun to use for a classroom blog featuring the students.

Make your own photo slideshow at Animoto.

Thing #20

I started my search in YouTube by entering "4th grade poetry", thinking that I would tie a video in with my 4th grade language arts standard. Well, you know how one thing leads to another on YouTube.......The sidebar had some interesting looking videos so I decided to watch "Whole Brain Teaching: 4th grade: The Crazy Professor Reading Game".....who could resist? It is definitely worth watching! The title drew me in and I have never seen anyone teach this way, enjoy!

YouTube

Thing #19

I have just joined TeacherPop and it looks like a great place to connect with others in the education field. I have read through several posts and enjoyed it. I went to Leslie's post and left a comment and a gift. I don't know about the gift thing, there was only one free one and the rest you have to pay for. I guess everyone will just have to be satisfied with the free red ribbon. I uploaded a picture of a pink zinnia, I love zinnias :)
I took a look at: Crafters.org because I have been a crafter all of my life. I could get lost in this for hours. One of their slogans: "Justify your hoarding instincts". I can relate. I will have to revisit this site!

Thing #18

I have been on facebook for a few years and the information on my account is only visible to my friends. Here's my link:
facebook
It's important for educators to know about social networking sites so that they know what their students are talking about.....that goes for all other technology that they use as well. I don't think that I would use this in the classroom, however it could be a communication tool to use with parents. I think it's a big no-no to be facebook friends with your students!

Thing #17

Well, my favorites list looks like the old way (shown in the video) so I will definitely be using Delicious. My favorites have been disorganized and frustrating for some time and it's time to get organized. I tried to take this course my first semester but it was "sold out", it would have been helpful to have taken this class closer to the beginning than the end for sure. Social networking sites are definitely a plus for teachers, especially new ones. I know that I will need all of the good resources that I can find and it will be nice to have an excellent site to save to as well as to search from any location.

Thing #16

When I first started using a computer, Internet Explorer was the only option that I really knew about and my main email account is still msn.com. Then I started using Firefox and decided to use it strictly for my schoolwork. I wasn't happy with IE too much anymore, so I started using Google Chrome for my personal stuff. In essence, I use 3 different home pages for different reasons, just like 3 main file folders.
Since my IE's homepage is just AOL's homepage, I decided to replace it with Igoogle, feeling sure that I would like that better. There are so many things that I like about Google, I feel that I can't go wrong with it and it will remain my homepage for my Internet Explorer.
I chose MSN Calender to try out. I liked that it had the weather for each day and a tab to create a to-do list. If you put everything on your calendar then a to-do list is sort of redundant to me. Right now, my life is not too complicated so it's easier to keep a hand-written calendar and to-do list. Once I start teaching, I am sure that I will keep these things with me technologically. I think that I had referred to a Franklin planner being used in my former career before this sort of technology was available. These tools are the new planners and necessary for efficiency.

Thing #15

I thought that "wiki" was a term exclusive to Wikipedia. I knew about some of these other sites but didn't know that they were called wikis. I feel that Wikipedia is much more reliable than when it first started, but I know not to take it as the absolute honest last word on anything. I would think that a Wiki would be a great collaboration spot for teachers to share lesson plans and standards for their grade level. That would be a great resource to have district wide.
I had trouble with the sandbox. I tried to edit someone's post by changing the colors and it didn't work. The only thing that I could really do was move the image around or change its size, so I abandoned that attempt. I put in my smile generator but got no further than the editing box.....I couldn't figure out how to make it show up on the "front page"......Hands in the air, sign me.....Technically Challenged.

Thing #14

I chose Gliffy and Bubbl.us to play with and compare. I liked them both, it seemed that bubbl.us had a less formal look to it while flowcharts were a bit more rigid and "official" looking. Gliffy gives you a much more professional looking product than Bubbl.us, so my target audience would determine which to use. Both mindmaps and flowcharts are useful for lesson planning and for a student's organization of concepts. It is much easier to make these things with these websites, I have used MS Word to do this previously and there is no comparison. I see that Gliffy has a floor plan option that might be useful for classroom layout plans. Overall, I feel that I will use both of these in the future.

Thing #13

I found Zoho Writer to be very similar to MS Word and would certainly recommend using it to anyone. There is really no point in purchasing a software program when you can access something so similar for free. I had only heard of Open Office as a substitute for MS Word, so this is a great option.
I liked the Zoho Writer better than the document writer in Google Docs, perhaps because Zoho is so similar to what I'm used to. I tried some different things in Google Docs and I hate to admit it but I was lost. This drawing was the best I could do. I tried to paint it but that didn't work.
I did like the fact that Google Docs automatically saves your work and I can see how easily this could be used for group projects. My preference is Zoho, it was more user friendly for me!

smile

Thing #12

The first thing that I looked at and experimented with was Google Calender. It was simple enough and took me back to the days when I used a Franklin planner. I suppose that everything that I kept up with in that old planner could now be kept up with in a small ipad. I can certainly see the ease and advantage of that, but I do like the old fashioned way (pen and paper) as well. I tried to put in some cute little icons on my Google Calender but couldn't get that to work. Google Calender could certainly be useful in the classroom when communicating with others, as well as helping me keep things straight and organized.
Google Calender
I tried Google Translate next and I am simply AMAZED. I had no idea this was available, where have I been? Absolutely beneficial when working with ELL's and I can see it being used for various subjects when foreign phrases come up. I put in "Alouette, gentille Alouette Alouette je te plumerai" and got "Lark, lovely lark Lark, I am going to pluck". This cracked me up, I remember that song from childhood and the Target commercial has brought it back to me. I sure didn't know that it was about plucking a bird. Live and learn!
Google Translate

Thing #11

I started my search by reading the Cool Cat article and then continued to the Edublog's website. I chose to look at the 2010 Best Educator blog of Teacher Tom. He shares an interesting viewpoint on various subjects and I enjoyed reading his posts. I found it odd that at the end of his posts he says that he works hard on his blog and asks for donations. As I continued to look at Edublog, I got into the nominees for 2011 and long lists that were not categorized. I decided to leave and look elsewhere.
Google Blog Search turned up "TBA", short for Teaching Blog Addict. This blog has over 5000 followers so I decided to look around. I liked that it had subjects listed by category and looked into the Math section. There were a lot of posts and freebies here, some very good ideas. Each of these posts led me to the individual poster's blog.....so I guess that this is some sort of blog portal. I subscribed to this, a very good resource! I noticed that this blog also had an icon for Pinterest, which leads me to suggest to all of you to sign up! I have found some great teacher blogs and resources here!
On Topix, I mostly found governmental issues and when I searched for teacher blogs I found articles about teachers getting into trouble with their blogs, not actual blogs. Technorati didn't have an education section and it was hard to find a teaching blog, so I cared for this website the least.
Google Blog search was probably the easiest to navigate, but to be totally honest, Pinterest is just as easy and my favorite for find teaching blogs.

Thing #10

I cannot believe how simple, as the name implies, that RSS was to set up and use. It definitely makes it easier to review the blogs that I am interested in with fewer keystrokes. In the words of Thoreau: "Simplify, simplify". I'm all for that!
In school, this would be a great way to keep up with school happenings by combining my peer's blogs into one easy-to-view site. In my personal life, I would have a separate reader for relaxed reading that was separate from my work.
Teachers can use this technology to keep up with pertinent information at the school, county, state or national level. Teachers could also zone in on one particular subject to follow for improving and adding to their own knowledge and skills.

Thing #9

Buttons are fun! You could create a large variety for rewards or special occasions. You could also have a button day! Here are a few ideas from
http://cooltext.com
The happy faces are fun to post around the classroom to increase smiling :) and they come from http://www.happyfacegenerator.com/

Thing #8

More antique glassware, what can I say? I am a collector of many things. There wasn't much to doing this and disappointingly uncreative. I think these would make great gifts but I see little use for the classroom. I don't mean to be negative, am I missing something? Flickr can certainly make a teacher blog more interesting and fun, but beyond that I am just not seeing anything.
I would never make my photos public on any of these sites, I mark my facebook pictures for "friends only" and have considered clearing all of my pictures from there. It seems that as time goes on and technology advances, the more private I want to be on these matters. I keep thinking of Big Brother.

Thing #7

I walked around the house to find something interesting that could be tagged in a number of ways. I came up with these refrigerator jars. I got them at an auction a few years ago and I have only seen them one other time in my entire antiquing life. I am still not sure that my photo is going to show up in this blog, I am a bit frustrated because I have followed the instructions to a T to do this. We shall see if it shows up once I post, if not I will figure out a way.
I have used Shutterfly for a number of years and I'm comfortable with that site while uncomfortable with Flickr. I suppose it's what you are used to. Sharing class pictures with parents is the only application that I think I would use this for. I would probably use Shutterfly instead simply because it's easier and faster for me.
So it didn't show up....I grabbed the link but it's not a jpeg.....so I'm uploading my photo from my pc.....trust me, it is in flickr

Thing #6

I chose to look at http://www.etsy.com.  I had been on this site before but it had been a long time and I  had never explored it from an educational point of view.  Etsy is a storefront for those that want to sell or buy handmade goods.  I love the fact that anyone can "set up shop" easily and it certainly beats setting up at a craft fair or flea market to sell your goods.  It is a virtual craft fair and I love it, it's right up my alley!
I typed in "education" and several choices popped up.  Art, games, printables and toys were some of the available selections.  There were over 1300 educational games and there were 128 available printables.  This would definitely be a good site to explore and use when looking for new resources and new ideas.

Thing #5

     Web 2.0 refers to social interaction on the internet as opposed to simply gathering information from an internet source.  You could say that it is similar to having a conversation with someone as opposed to sitting in a corner with an encyclopedia.  The main thing that I took away from the short film was that Web 2.0 is about people and would not exist without their sharing/interaction.  It is also about enhancing our lives by making information and socialization easier for all.
     School 2.0 is an extension of Web 2.0.  Students learn in and outside of the classroom and both of these environments can be enhanced by the internet.  They can take a trip to the Smithsonian through classroom activities or at home.  They can communicate with a pen pal or visit a classroom across the country immediately.  They can work math problems without a pencil and read a book without an actual book............wait a minute..........is that a good thing?  Well, I said enhance, not replace!  Nothing can replace real face-to-face interaction, a good balance between this and the web is essential in a child developing into a well-rounded member of our society.  Integration and exposure to technology in real-life is essential.............and so is reading a "real" book!
     I envision future schools to be very technologically advanced.  Funds (and maybe old ways of thinking) are some things that hold our schools back from this now.  How cool would it be for every student to have access to the web and be provided an ipad?  How great would it be for students to not have to carry a 50 pound backpack around?  I also have to wonder if grade levels would disappear with each student's curriculum tailored individually.  That would really make more sense, each student at their own pace with personalized challenges.

Thing #4

One of the purposes of a blog is to share information. If there is no interaction then you might as well just be talking to yourself or keeping a journal. If you are blogging instead of journaling, then you want interaction and want to be heard. Everyone wants validation of their opinion and/or a different perspective. This interaction naturally leads to a community of shared ideas and thoughts.
I really enjoyed reading the Cool Cat Teacher Blog. The the first thing that is mentioned is to write meaningfully. If you don't have something meaningful to say then don't comment just to be commenting! I also agree that you should use real world examples in your comments when possible.
I am going to follow the classmate blogs listed below. I chose to follow these particular blogs because I have had classes with them before and would like to get to know them better.
Naomi's 23 Things
Stephanie's 23 Things Blog
Bullock's 23
K Mott's Blog
Miss Keem's 23 Things for 5540
I enjoy getting ideas from the following Scholastic site that is written for teachers by teachers. I want to follow The Pioneer Woman because I am curious to see all of the aspects of a successful and prosperous blog.
Scholastic's Top Teaching
The Pioneer Woman Here's what I said and why I said it! Kendra, in Thing #11, provided a great website that ties art and literature together. This resource makes it easy for teacher collaboration as they plan a more meaningful lesson for their students. Kim, in Thing #21, had a great suggestion for using Animoto. Everything Kim had to say in this post was exactly what I would say, except she said it better! In Melissa's final post, I complimented her on her writing style....straight from the hip.....I enjoyed her straight-forwardness and humor in all of her posts. I commented on Stephanie's first post, however, my comment is really about her favorite teacher blogs that are posted on the right of her pages. I am always looking for resources and these are great ones! Naomi, in Thing #18, provides a great source (Sandy Fleming) for Twitter following. I had been looking for something else to "beef up" my Twitter account! The Pioneer Woman is such a great site. I commented on the photography section where there were some beautiful photos, very inspiring and motiviating for me to get outside and start shooting! I commented on one of the Scholastic articles about a "virtual spring cleaning" of your computer. This article offered great tips for organization.

Thing #3

     I registered my blog and am continuing my journey through the 23 things.  The Edublog list is full of great ideas and I will keep this list for future reference.
     I like the idea of students having weblogs and responding to literacy assignments or writing prompts.  This gives them the opportunity to be creative, improve their technological skills, and take responsibility for their work in a different way.  By creating this portfolio, their parents would also have immediate access to their work and hopefully be more involved in their learning.  There are endless possibilities to what the students could do with a weblog, I would have to choose carefully due to time constraints.
     I would definitely use a blog for communication with parents and students.  Class schedules, assignments, activities, photos, work examples, etc. could all be part of the blog.  I would also create a newsletter based off the blog information to be sent home, not everyone has internet access.
     I enjoy hearing what other teachers are doing, so it would be great to create a blog chronicling my first year of teaching and getting input from other teachers.

Thing #2

• How did you decide on your posting name and the name of your blog?

The name of my blog was easy, it is what it is.  I am so technologically challenged that I am not sure what my posting name is.  Can someone tell me?

• What was your experience in creating the blog? Was it hard for you or easy? Why?

It was a bit difficult as I had never done this before.  Just finding my way around the layout and figuring out where to change text color and such took some experimentation and mistakes.

• How does your avatar reflect your personality? Did you create an avatar that looks like your real self or someone totally different? Why?

I tried to make it look like me, it reminded me of setting up the Wii game console for the first time.  I had a hard time deciding whether to use books or coffee as my accessory.  Decisions, decisions.  It was fun to do :)

Thing #1

     The habit that is easiest for me is #1, beginning with the end in mind.  I cannot remember a time when I didn't naturally think this way, it's in my DNA.  When I started the MAT program, I began with the end goal in mind.  I thoroughly investigated the pros and cons, why I wanted to do this, the hard work involved, the money involved, the impact on my family, the impact on my free time, and the rewards at the end.  After much soul searching, I decided that the reward would be worth the sacrifices and so here I am.
     The habit that is the hardest for me is #4, having confidence in myself as a competent effective learner.  I have 30 hours completed in this program, all A's, and still I question my abilities.  I don't worry so much about learning in the classroom but my ability to apply it in the elementary classroom.  I lack confidence in this area because I lack experience in the real world classroom.  I can learn all day, but can I translate what I have learned in a competent, effective way in my future classroom?  I learn by doing and need to volunteer in some classrooms to become more comfortable with that. I need to quit procrastinating about that and make time to do it.
     Lifelong learning means that we are constantly learning through our experiences.  I believe that there is a lesson to be learned in everything that we do, be it in a learning environment or everyday situation.  We learn from our mistakes and we learn from our successes.