Hard to believe this is the last blog for this class! The time has flown by and I have learned a ton!! But more reflection to come in a moment...
First, Facebook. I have been on Facebook for a few years now. My initial reaction to this site when I got on was to explore, see what the fuss was all about, and expected to not really use it at all. Boy was I wrong! I have gotten in contact with past high school, college, and co-workers who I may have never seen or heard from again if it had not been for Facebook. Without a doubt, personally, this site has put me touch with people I always valued in life, but just not kept up with...now I not only have easy access not only to contact them but seeing what is going on in their lives now.
The following two sites gave suggestions for using Facebook in the classroom: 100 Ways You Should be Using Facebook in the Classroom and Using Facebook in the Classroom. Both sites take into account being cautious when using this site with students and suggest setting up a separate teacher/class account, keeping personal pages separate from the student use. And this site, The Facebook Classroom, offers suggestions of Facebook apps that can be helpful in a classroom. And there is a group you can join on Facebook that discusses Classroom Instruction with Facebook.
However, I do have concerns with students on Facebook. It is definitely a platform for cyberbullying to occur. Cyberbully on Facebook jailed, Schools vs. Facebook, and Top 5 Technologies used to Cyberbully.
As with anything on the Internet, student safety must be considered...but Facebook is part of the world of the students these days so the possibility of utilizing it in a positive way seems advantageous.
Now, back to the reflecting part...about this experience.
I enjoyed so many things about this blog experience. First, the blog itself. I had never taken the time to establish a blog and commit to posting. Thanks to this class, I discovered not only how easy it was to do, but also how much I love it. This may be the biggest surprise to me, as I did not anticipate loving the blog experience itself so much.
When I think of some of my favorite experiences during the course of this blog, the exploration of Google Docs stands out. We will be using this at school next year and I had no idea the extent to which this online platform could perform. I was amazed with the forms and the ability of the presentations. Another standout is the time I spent exploring Web 2.0 tools. Such a plethora of options out there...I'll be exploring more with Web 2.0 tools to discover more to use at school.
This experience has only heightened my commitment as a life long learner. At school, so many people come to me with "technology" questions and for advice. This opportunity has helped me so much to know that much more....AND emphasized the need for me to keep learning and learning as technology is changing daily.
I don't think I would change anything about this experience...it allowed for my discovery (student discovery) of so much the Internet has to offer. Instead of just hearing about Internet resources or even just looking at them, this experience required us to utilize AND reflect upon our use of them. Authentic learning! That is what this has been about and I am so thankful I have had this opportunity!
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Thing #15.5: Twitter
Well, as excited I was when I originally saw the last blog assignment was on Skype...I was equally unexcited when I saw the word Twitter on #15.5! I have been determined never to join Twitter. With multiple emails to check, Facebook, blogs to follow, etc....I just did not want one more distraction :) But I acquiesced for the sake of this assignment....and I survived. I initially just followed the steps to sign up from the Twitter website. Very easy and straightforward. But then I began to wonder how in the world to just send a message to one particular person, i.e. how to tweet just Dr. Wilson and not everyone else! I was able to set my tweets to private, but knew there would be tweets intended for just one person. THEN I watched the tutorial on Dr. Wilson's blog (should have done that first!) Pretty easy to send a message to just one person on Twitter....use the "@" button with their username! I created a list for myself to just put classmates on. If I were to use this with co workers, I could have a list of co workers name and just tweet that list resources, ideas, or thoughts that I want to pass on to them. One thing I don't like though....I have already received several requests within the first hour of being on by people unknown to me who want to follow me. Although I do have the ability to decline, seems odd when I have virtually no information out there or anything that people just follow to follow.
I did explore some possible ways to use Twitter in the educational settings. Thirty Interesting Ways, How One Teacher Uses Twitter in the Classroom, and 100 Ways to Teach with Twitter are all worth checking out!
So far, no one I know is following me....I have sent a few tweets out....I'll keep experimenting with it!
I did explore some possible ways to use Twitter in the educational settings. Thirty Interesting Ways, How One Teacher Uses Twitter in the Classroom, and 100 Ways to Teach with Twitter are all worth checking out!
So far, no one I know is following me....I have sent a few tweets out....I'll keep experimenting with it!
Things #15: Skype
I was excited when we first started this blog to see Skype on the list. I had originally set up a Skype account over Christmas when I was visiting my parents. All I knew about it at the time was that we could "talk" via video for free and that there is the ability to share your computer screen (would be a great way to assist my mom when she was trying something new on her Mac)! So, I set my mom up with an account and myself, but I knew so little about it and really did not take the time to investigate then. Thus, we have yet to use it. In fact, when we were checking Skype yesterday in class, I realized I had forgotten my password and had to submit to reset it. So getting to explore Skype and its features for this blog was so helpful!!
Today, after spending some time both on the Skype website as well as signed on as a user, I have learned a number of things.
1. You can conference call with three or more people on Skype
2. You can send files quickly over Skype
3. Screen sharing works on Windows or Mac platform....but you do need the latest version of Skype in order to use it.
4. And among many other features, there is an easy to use Support/Help link on Skype for questions or when you need to know how to do something.
5. When signed on to Skype, the features really are as easy as a click of a button.
6. The Conference Call feature is easy to set up
One of the first things that come to my mind with using Skype in the classroom would behow advantageous it would be for a student who is sick for awhile. Being brought in over Skype, the student could still hear live from the teacher or participate in a class discussion. I also think of taking pen pals in a different way. Instead of writing pen pals across the world, students could Skype with others across the continents. This idea was also referenced in the Edublogger article Dr. Wilson had posted. I appreciated on Anne Mirtschin's Blog, that she addresses the class discipline and management issues associated with using Skype in the classroom...she has overcome these to her students' advantage! What a great resource the site 50 Awesome Ways to Use Skype in the Classroom is....I'll definitely be passing that on to the teachers I work with.
P.S. Update as of Monday the 26th: Christina and I successfully skyped this morning for about twenty minutes. She is working hard even from Seaside on vacation. It was unbelievable how it felt like we were in the same room talking. She gave me great tips on making my claymation for my other class: Bring a tripod, don't move the camera AT ALL in between shots, periodically load the pics on the computer to see how they are turning out! So fun we could talk from miles away!
Today, after spending some time both on the Skype website as well as signed on as a user, I have learned a number of things.
1. You can conference call with three or more people on Skype
2. You can send files quickly over Skype
4. And among many other features, there is an easy to use Support/Help link on Skype for questions or when you need to know how to do something.
5. When signed on to Skype, the features really are as easy as a click of a button.
6. The Conference Call feature is easy to set up
One of the first things that come to my mind with using Skype in the classroom would behow advantageous it would be for a student who is sick for awhile. Being brought in over Skype, the student could still hear live from the teacher or participate in a class discussion. I also think of taking pen pals in a different way. Instead of writing pen pals across the world, students could Skype with others across the continents. This idea was also referenced in the Edublogger article Dr. Wilson had posted. I appreciated on Anne Mirtschin's Blog, that she addresses the class discipline and management issues associated with using Skype in the classroom...she has overcome these to her students' advantage! What a great resource the site 50 Awesome Ways to Use Skype in the Classroom is....I'll definitely be passing that on to the teachers I work with.
P.S. Update as of Monday the 26th: Christina and I successfully skyped this morning for about twenty minutes. She is working hard even from Seaside on vacation. It was unbelievable how it felt like we were in the same room talking. She gave me great tips on making my claymation for my other class: Bring a tripod, don't move the camera AT ALL in between shots, periodically load the pics on the computer to see how they are turning out! So fun we could talk from miles away!
Thing #14: Podcasting
I thought I would check both podcast directories listed, Podcastalley and PodcastDirectory. On PodcastAlley, I searched through the Top Ten List for July and the featured and newest podcast but did not really see anything that interested me. So then I decided to use the Search feature and was able to choose the genre "Education." So many results came up it was overwhelming so I decided to search for a podcast and used the terms "educational technology." I found some great sites on using technology in the classroom, some resources to help educators, through this search and added them to my BlogLines account, organizing it by putting them in their own "Education" folder.
Then on the other podcast listings, the term "education" was listed right on the front page! I clicked on that and a long list of sub categories. To narrow my search, I chose "Educational Technology" After finding a few options to add, I realized I had to log in on this site in order to add the ones I was choosing. My initial reaction honestly...."Not another log in to remember"....but as soon as I clicked log in I discovered you just logged on with your google account. This allows for each one I choose to go directly to my bloglines. So I now have a few more things to listen to!!!
As to becoming a podcaster....I have dabbled with this in the past, specifically by using GarageBand, but this is definitely something I want to spend more time working on! I could not believe HOW many podcasts were out there when I explored those directories.
Then on the other podcast listings, the term "education" was listed right on the front page! I clicked on that and a long list of sub categories. To narrow my search, I chose "Educational Technology" After finding a few options to add, I realized I had to log in on this site in order to add the ones I was choosing. My initial reaction honestly...."Not another log in to remember"....but as soon as I clicked log in I discovered you just logged on with your google account. This allows for each one I choose to go directly to my bloglines. So I now have a few more things to listen to!!!
As to becoming a podcaster....I have dabbled with this in the past, specifically by using GarageBand, but this is definitely something I want to spend more time working on! I could not believe HOW many podcasts were out there when I explored those directories.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Thing #12 and 13: YOUTUBE
Have to admit, YouTube is a frequent resource that I call upon. Just yesterday, I pulled three video clips from there to use for my music video in my Multimedia class. I love that I can find videos on here just for entertainment, use in graduate school class projects, involve in the classroom, or even for information. I remember last summer when I was trying to paint my bathroom cabinets with a certain finish, I used Youtube to find a "how to" video to use that worked great for me!
This first video,
I am sharing is just for fun....it is the trailer to a new TV show that may quickly become one of my favorites.
Then I thought I would search for information on Web 2.0 tools since we have been working with Web 2.0 tools. This video is a quick five minute video discussing what exactly is Web 1.0, 2.0 and even 3.0.
Youtube is such a great resource, especially as a teacher to find extra materials to share with students whether it be to engage them initially, visually show them a process, or hear others perspectives on ideas. It is easy to search with a term or terms....and then the results show other "like" videos that may want to be viewed as well. However, there can be inappropriate content on the site as well so there must be caution when using this in the classroom. Using YouTube EDU may alleviate some of this risk.
So now on to the adventure of posting my own Youtube video! This is something I definitely have not done before! I think I will pull together a movie of South Carolina scenery from my trip last spring.
Easy to do and easy to upload! Although I would not want to publish student work worldwide for anyone to see....I did notice that you could share privately for certain viewers or put as "Unlisted" so that only people who are told the link can retrieve the video. This would allow students to create their own work in class and upload it for only a few private viewers (i.e. the teacher and their classmates) Since YouTube allows for several different file formats, you are not limited to just using a PC or Mac. As a teacher, it could be a great place to store TEASES or other small video I create. I could always list it as private, but then access it through MY VIDEOS on YouTube so that it is a click of a button away when I want to use it in the classroom.
This first video,
I am sharing is just for fun....it is the trailer to a new TV show that may quickly become one of my favorites.
Then I thought I would search for information on Web 2.0 tools since we have been working with Web 2.0 tools. This video is a quick five minute video discussing what exactly is Web 1.0, 2.0 and even 3.0.
Youtube is such a great resource, especially as a teacher to find extra materials to share with students whether it be to engage them initially, visually show them a process, or hear others perspectives on ideas. It is easy to search with a term or terms....and then the results show other "like" videos that may want to be viewed as well. However, there can be inappropriate content on the site as well so there must be caution when using this in the classroom. Using YouTube EDU may alleviate some of this risk.
So now on to the adventure of posting my own Youtube video! This is something I definitely have not done before! I think I will pull together a movie of South Carolina scenery from my trip last spring.
Easy to do and easy to upload! Although I would not want to publish student work worldwide for anyone to see....I did notice that you could share privately for certain viewers or put as "Unlisted" so that only people who are told the link can retrieve the video. This would allow students to create their own work in class and upload it for only a few private viewers (i.e. the teacher and their classmates) Since YouTube allows for several different file formats, you are not limited to just using a PC or Mac. As a teacher, it could be a great place to store TEASES or other small video I create. I could always list it as private, but then access it through MY VIDEOS on YouTube so that it is a click of a button away when I want to use it in the classroom.
Thing #11: Web 2.0 Tools
In a past class, having been introduced to Web 2.0 tools, I knew this discovery exercise would be a wealth of information. In fact, I based my learning contract upon what I could discover and collect of Web 2.0 tools. I found the article noting the estimates of how many Web 2.0 tools are out there so intriguing...exactly along my questioning about whether or not the future of say Microsoft Office is bleak. To learn that at least SEVENTEEN different companies are working on web based office applications in astounding. I know of Google Docs, learned about Zoho Writer yesterday....and there are at least fifteen others in process! And this article is four years old so I would imagine that number is much greater now.
From the list of Web 2.0 Award Nominees, I selected LuLu. I absolutely love reading, love books, and love to write...so I looked first at this category, predicting that I might find a source to discover new books. Instead, I found a tool that allows for self-publishing! I was even more excited...I have a dream, I would love to publish a book (or two or three) one day....so I was fascinated by this site. There are a number of features that I already have just on my own computer with IPhoto like creating a calendar or photo book. However....then there is the option of creating an ebook or book and publishing it through the site for minimal cost. You can also create a cookbook....the site helps you set up design, formatting etc. Think site is already bookmarked and I WILL be returning to explore further!!! It is not just about publishing either, you can purchase textbooks, find suggestions of new fiction books to read....I will say that I see this site more for personal use as the publishing side has costs associated with it. Although if there was a student interested in getting "published" and their parents were behind that endeavor, this could be a great suggestion to point them to. I am so excited I found it for me!!
Now in searching on the goWeb20 listing, I chose to explore Game Classroom. This site is designed for students between Kindergarten and Sixth grade, primarily for math and language arts games. I first played VERB VIPER, which allows the player to choose what type of verb usage to practice and then as a words quickly appear next to the viper's head, the player must "strike" the correct verb form to go with the subject. This game provides practice for several different grade levels. I appreciated on the site that you could easily search by subject matter or by grade level....and within the games there was choice. I played a little with Clockworks for second grade students to practice telling/setting time on a clock with hands. For 6th grade Math, I explored Disaster Math, giving students practice with word problems. You could choose which "natural disaster" to work with so students actually use terms they may know from science as well. As a site, this has great resources for classroom use, whether all students spend some time on one or more games for practice or review, or if the games are used as extra practice for a student needing more time with a concept, or even for challenging a student who may have mastered a certain level and ready to accept the next level. This is a great site I will be passing on to my colleagues.
From the list of Web 2.0 Award Nominees, I selected LuLu. I absolutely love reading, love books, and love to write...so I looked first at this category, predicting that I might find a source to discover new books. Instead, I found a tool that allows for self-publishing! I was even more excited...I have a dream, I would love to publish a book (or two or three) one day....so I was fascinated by this site. There are a number of features that I already have just on my own computer with IPhoto like creating a calendar or photo book. However....then there is the option of creating an ebook or book and publishing it through the site for minimal cost. You can also create a cookbook....the site helps you set up design, formatting etc. Think site is already bookmarked and I WILL be returning to explore further!!! It is not just about publishing either, you can purchase textbooks, find suggestions of new fiction books to read....I will say that I see this site more for personal use as the publishing side has costs associated with it. Although if there was a student interested in getting "published" and their parents were behind that endeavor, this could be a great suggestion to point them to. I am so excited I found it for me!!
Now in searching on the goWeb20 listing, I chose to explore Game Classroom. This site is designed for students between Kindergarten and Sixth grade, primarily for math and language arts games. I first played VERB VIPER, which allows the player to choose what type of verb usage to practice and then as a words quickly appear next to the viper's head, the player must "strike" the correct verb form to go with the subject. This game provides practice for several different grade levels. I appreciated on the site that you could easily search by subject matter or by grade level....and within the games there was choice. I played a little with Clockworks for second grade students to practice telling/setting time on a clock with hands. For 6th grade Math, I explored Disaster Math, giving students practice with word problems. You could choose which "natural disaster" to work with so students actually use terms they may know from science as well. As a site, this has great resources for classroom use, whether all students spend some time on one or more games for practice or review, or if the games are used as extra practice for a student needing more time with a concept, or even for challenging a student who may have mastered a certain level and ready to accept the next level. This is a great site I will be passing on to my colleagues.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Thing #10: Online Productivity Tools
Well, since I have had some experience with Google Docs already, I chose to explore Zoho Writer. I did not know what was out there in competition with Google Docs. You can check out my initial thoughts on Zoho through this link, it is the text from a document I created on Zoho itself! And then I kept investigating...want to see what else I found? Check out this presentation.
Overall, Zoho seems easy to use and parallels Google Docs. With two such online possibilities for word documents, slideshow presentations, and spreadsheets....it makes me wonder what the future of say Microsoft Office may be????
P.S. So I had to come back here and embed the form I created in Google Docs in class. Did not even know about "forms" in Google Docs! Another great tool!
Overall, Zoho seems easy to use and parallels Google Docs. With two such online possibilities for word documents, slideshow presentations, and spreadsheets....it makes me wonder what the future of say Microsoft Office may be????
P.S. So I had to come back here and embed the form I created in Google Docs in class. Did not even know about "forms" in Google Docs! Another great tool!
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