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!
Friday, July 16, 2010
Thing #9: Play with Wiki's!
The collection of technology poppers is an invaluable resource!! So true that many teachers think of technology as overwhelming with the amount of time to dedicate to a computer lab when it really can be quick, easy, engaging, AND meaningful to the instruction. After reading through the already posted ideas on the Technology Popper Wiki....and coming up with a few to post myself...I realized what a great use a wiki would be within my own school. With my role supporting other teachers with curriculum and technology...I could establish a wiki that would allow teachers within our school to generate and share ideas. Specifically if I designed it related to technology, instead of me just sharing ideas from myself or that I have seen, they could be sharing with each other.
Think #8: Wikis
I have to admit that most of what I know about wikis is limited to Wikipedia. And like perhaps you may be, I am leery of the site because accuracy is up to whoever entered text last. Yes, you can view the history of who edited the page and when...but a page could have originated by an expert and been edited by a ten year old.
So with such a perspective, I dived into Thing #8 with skepticism. Let's just say, I've changed my mind. For starters, check out a basic overview of wikis at The Wiki Walk Through. Not only will you find a very easy to understand explanation of wikis, but multiple ways to integrate wikis in all subjects at all grade levels. In exploring wikis further through this assignment, I have realized there really is more credit due to wikis than I was willing to give! For instance, when I went to the Book Lovers Wiki, I found a number of books I wanted to read thanks to the postings located there. I noticed on the Library for Life wiki, only librarians have access to edit giving substantial more credibility to the information found on that site. This would be a good site for research and simply to reference to help students understand definitions of literary terms, genre, etc.
Ideas for wiki use in education? Oh yes!!! I can see a wiki between a community of teachers being an excellent way to network and share ideas. Perhaps three or four schools are all teaching Romeo and Juliet in English. The wiki amongst the teachers can be a location where teachers share resources they used in planning or instructing. A classroom teacher could set up a wiki that the students could share about books they choose to read on their own, so other students might choose according to similar tastes. Or classrooms across the world from one another could share information on their particular cultures.
So with such a perspective, I dived into Thing #8 with skepticism. Let's just say, I've changed my mind. For starters, check out a basic overview of wikis at The Wiki Walk Through. Not only will you find a very easy to understand explanation of wikis, but multiple ways to integrate wikis in all subjects at all grade levels. In exploring wikis further through this assignment, I have realized there really is more credit due to wikis than I was willing to give! For instance, when I went to the Book Lovers Wiki, I found a number of books I wanted to read thanks to the postings located there. I noticed on the Library for Life wiki, only librarians have access to edit giving substantial more credibility to the information found on that site. This would be a good site for research and simply to reference to help students understand definitions of literary terms, genre, etc.
Ideas for wiki use in education? Oh yes!!! I can see a wiki between a community of teachers being an excellent way to network and share ideas. Perhaps three or four schools are all teaching Romeo and Juliet in English. The wiki amongst the teachers can be a location where teachers share resources they used in planning or instructing. A classroom teacher could set up a wiki that the students could share about books they choose to read on their own, so other students might choose according to similar tastes. Or classrooms across the world from one another could share information on their particular cultures.
Thing #7: Image Generators
Since I am so visual...I loved checking into these image generators. I had already had experience with Voicethreads and even worked with one of our teachers using it with the vocabulary words in her English classroom. But I had not had experience with the other sites. So I thought I would check out WordSift and Glogster:
First....WordSift. What a gold mine for a teacher when working with students on vocabulary or reading comprehension. But first, let me confess as to my initial reactions to the site. When I first went to the site, I typed in some text, pressed sift....saw the words come up in the cloud and thought to myself "So what?" But then I watched the video tutorial and began to understand all the tools at my fingertips. For a teacher in Science to take a complex portion of text and have the students WordSift it first....the most common 50 words will then appear. The largest will be the most often used and should be the ones the students concentrate on to learn as vocabulary. Then down below the words, there is the option to see images...so unfamiliar terms that the students are going to read, especially the most common, can be seen as images by the students. Doing this activity as a class before the students read the passage would only increase reading comprehension of the text. I could also see students using this own their own....after writing something of their own, they could use this tool to find the most common words they used, even how they used the word in context. This could be an easy way to help illustrate for a student the need for variety in word choice. The possibilities for the use of this tool are many!!
I also checked out...Glogster. So anyone remember carting a poster project to class from home? Maybe with cutouts from magazines, words written with sharpies....hopefully conveying some sort of understanding of say the last book you just read for a book report? Glogster makes the carting of the poster board, the sharpie writing, and the magazine cut outs obsolete! And way more fun! Just checking out this site and watching one of the videos near the bottom left "Literature and Glogster EDU"....gives me reason to see this website as a great tech tool for teachers. Teachers can create a safe, protected virtual classroom where students can create their own glogs as projects/assessments of learning like this students project on Chemical Reactions. Or teachers could create learning tools for classroom instruction like this Alphabet Glog. Or Test Reviews can be created and studied. In English classrooms, Glogs could replace book reports. With a Glog, the book report comes alive and the student is forced to think how to represent the book with sound and images and even video, so much better than a piece of poster board where often times the book is just summarized! Science classrooms, glogs could be used as an introductory tool of some concept, but one the students can continually refer back to instead of a one time lecture by a teacher. I really could go on and on with ideas...but go explore for yourself!!
I can't wait to add both of these sites to my "toolbox of learning" to share with others at my school!
First....WordSift. What a gold mine for a teacher when working with students on vocabulary or reading comprehension. But first, let me confess as to my initial reactions to the site. When I first went to the site, I typed in some text, pressed sift....saw the words come up in the cloud and thought to myself "So what?" But then I watched the video tutorial and began to understand all the tools at my fingertips. For a teacher in Science to take a complex portion of text and have the students WordSift it first....the most common 50 words will then appear. The largest will be the most often used and should be the ones the students concentrate on to learn as vocabulary. Then down below the words, there is the option to see images...so unfamiliar terms that the students are going to read, especially the most common, can be seen as images by the students. Doing this activity as a class before the students read the passage would only increase reading comprehension of the text. I could also see students using this own their own....after writing something of their own, they could use this tool to find the most common words they used, even how they used the word in context. This could be an easy way to help illustrate for a student the need for variety in word choice. The possibilities for the use of this tool are many!!
I also checked out...Glogster. So anyone remember carting a poster project to class from home? Maybe with cutouts from magazines, words written with sharpies....hopefully conveying some sort of understanding of say the last book you just read for a book report? Glogster makes the carting of the poster board, the sharpie writing, and the magazine cut outs obsolete! And way more fun! Just checking out this site and watching one of the videos near the bottom left "Literature and Glogster EDU"....gives me reason to see this website as a great tech tool for teachers. Teachers can create a safe, protected virtual classroom where students can create their own glogs as projects/assessments of learning like this students project on Chemical Reactions. Or teachers could create learning tools for classroom instruction like this Alphabet Glog. Or Test Reviews can be created and studied. In English classrooms, Glogs could replace book reports. With a Glog, the book report comes alive and the student is forced to think how to represent the book with sound and images and even video, so much better than a piece of poster board where often times the book is just summarized! Science classrooms, glogs could be used as an introductory tool of some concept, but one the students can continually refer back to instead of a one time lecture by a teacher. I really could go on and on with ideas...but go explore for yourself!!
I can't wait to add both of these sites to my "toolbox of learning" to share with others at my school!
Thing #6: RSS and Newsreaders
I love that RSS stands for "Really Simple Syndication"....because it does exactly that....makes things really simple! When it comes to following news, blogs etc. that is. Wow! Have I said that yet enough on this blog??? Checking out Bloglines has consumed my afternoon (in a good way!!) I keep exploring and exploring and exploring!!
Wow! That was easy to set up! I found some of the websites I love to keep up on the news (i.e. Apple's latest announcement that all Iphone 4 users will be receiving a free case!) or finding a few of my friends/co-workers blogs which I was able to put in their own folder on my blogline account for easy access, or even a great place to find some recipes.
Without a doubt in my personal life, this makes it much easier to check in on friends blogs or my favorite websites that offer a newsfeed! At work, I could easily have one of my folders set up for feeds to curriculum and technology sites or blogs! That would keep me up to date at the touch of a button instead of searching every time through a number of places. A great way for libraries to use this would be keeping up with feeds of new book releases, author updates, etc. ! This is such a great tool!
If you want to check out what I am following...click here.
Wow! That was easy to set up! I found some of the websites I love to keep up on the news (i.e. Apple's latest announcement that all Iphone 4 users will be receiving a free case!) or finding a few of my friends/co-workers blogs which I was able to put in their own folder on my blogline account for easy access, or even a great place to find some recipes.
Without a doubt in my personal life, this makes it much easier to check in on friends blogs or my favorite websites that offer a newsfeed! At work, I could easily have one of my folders set up for feeds to curriculum and technology sites or blogs! That would keep me up to date at the touch of a button instead of searching every time through a number of places. A great way for libraries to use this would be keeping up with feeds of new book releases, author updates, etc. ! This is such a great tool!
If you want to check out what I am following...click here.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Thing #5: Mashups
Seriously, I am having way too much fun. This could easily get addiciting!
A few of my favorite mashup applications so far:
PhotoBible, Wildflowerizer, AlphaLearner, and IMapFlickr...
AlphaLearner especially intrigues me as it puts learning the alphabet with real world images at the fingertips of a child. Not only can the child associate a letter with a word beginning with that letter, but given a number of images to look at as well. Takes the learning of the alphabet far beyond the the classroom, a book, or just a letter, but directly to the real world.
A few of my favorite mashup applications so far:
PhotoBible, Wildflowerizer, AlphaLearner, and IMapFlickr...
AlphaLearner especially intrigues me as it puts learning the alphabet with real world images at the fingertips of a child. Not only can the child associate a letter with a word beginning with that letter, but given a number of images to look at as well. Takes the learning of the alphabet far beyond the the classroom, a book, or just a letter, but directly to the real world.
Thing #4: Flickr
Confession time: Yes, I have heard of Flickr. No, I had not even investigated it before this assignment. And come to find out...that was my loss. My original assumption had been that Flickr was the same at Snapshot, Kodak or some other photo sites. I am so thankful I spent some time on Flickr!! Wow!! Walking through the Flickr Tour gave me a much better appreciation of all that this site has to offer. So yes...I now have an account!
It is similar to sharing photos on facebook with the tags of people but the organizational possibilities beyond that are amazing. Organizing them into sets, then into collections....and being able to determine who can view what! I love this! I enjoyed touring some of the galleries (Okay this Sign Gallery brought a few giggles). And I want to play more with the Noticing App.
Since I am obsessed with South Carolina, especially Charleston, I decided to search and see what pics could find from there. I think one of the things I love about South Carolina is the American history you see everywhere you turn. This is just one pic that I chose from FLICKR that shows the history of this place! I chose it by clicking "Blog This" on Flickr!! So easy!!
Confederate Memorial, Charleston, South Carolina
Originally uploaded by hanneorla
Thing #3: Photos
I absolutely LOVE South Carolina! It is my favorite place to vacation. Why? I am not even sure if I can put that into words....but I CAN share some of my photos from when I was there this past spring break. I have visited a few times before, but this year a good friend of mine who is serving in the Navy as a dentist was posted
So since a picture can say a thousand words...
The first is a view of the landscape from one of the lighthouses on the South Carolina coast. Secondly, you will see me and Morgen outside a GREAT Italian restaurant in downtown Charleston. Finally, I could not help but remind myself of the mouthwatering meal we had my first night in Charleston...at Poogan's Porch.
Posting these digital pictures to the blog...again EASY! Another nudge for me to set up my own personal blog!!
Thing #2: Blogging
Wow!! I love this already! Over the last several years I have loved keeping up with friends through their blogs, but have never taken the time to set up my own. I was convinced I did not have the time....and would I have anything to say?? The ease of setting up this blog though has already convinced me....a personal blog is in my near future. Not only is it easy (so far!), but so much fun.
Of course, my usual self, spent way too much time exploring possible templates, how to change the template, etc. But for now I have settled upon a template and have worked my way through the settings. I am very excited to continue and see what else I will learn in the upcoming steps. Besides reading others blogs, I am a novice. I have not yet commented or questioned on anyone else's blog, but am anxious to get involved in that as well. Recognizing that I often learn more of what I am thinking when I talk out loud or journal my thoughts, I can see the blog will be an effective way for me to continue to learn as I process my thoughts and experiences.
Because most of my blog reading in the past has been concentrated on friends' blogs, I decided to explore a few other avenues today. Within moments I have found some great sites about : LifeLong Learning Blog, Tech in the Classroom Thoughts, and Blogs in the Classroom.
So much to explore!!!!! But having fun as I do it!
Ranelle
Of course, my usual self, spent way too much time exploring possible templates, how to change the template, etc. But for now I have settled upon a template and have worked my way through the settings. I am very excited to continue and see what else I will learn in the upcoming steps. Besides reading others blogs, I am a novice. I have not yet commented or questioned on anyone else's blog, but am anxious to get involved in that as well. Recognizing that I often learn more of what I am thinking when I talk out loud or journal my thoughts, I can see the blog will be an effective way for me to continue to learn as I process my thoughts and experiences.
Because most of my blog reading in the past has been concentrated on friends' blogs, I decided to explore a few other avenues today. Within moments I have found some great sites about : LifeLong Learning Blog, Tech in the Classroom Thoughts, and Blogs in the Classroom.
So much to explore!!!!! But having fun as I do it!
Ranelle
Thing #1: Life Long Learning
Life long learning. I think this is a key to effective teaching. I love the quote (although I cannot remember who it is originally from) that says
"I am learning all the time. The tombstone will be my diploma."
I desire to have that attitude, that life itself, all of it, is a learning opportunity and playground.
Reading "7 1/2 Habits of Highly Successful Lifelong Learners" offered me practical steps to continue in the pursuit of life long learning. The habits suggested were:
1. Goals: Begin with the end in mind
2. Responsibility: Accept responsibility for your own learning
3. View problems as challenges
4. Have confidence in yourself as a learner
5. Create your own learning toolbox
6. Use technology to your advantage
7. Teach and/or mentor others
71/2. PLAY!!!!
As I consider these habits, it was easy for me to recognize which one was most challenging for me and which one is easiest for me. I find it easy to take responsibility for my own learning. I have a natural curiosity to learn and an inner drive to know more...coupled with my independent spirit, I find it easy to take ownership of pursuing opportunities through classes, learning from friends or colleagues, or taking advantage of technology to teach me. When I can't find the information at my fingertips, I am persistent to find out how to learn more. I do not see learning as dependent on what others can tell me or show me, rather on me seeking and learning from all that is around me. On the flip side....the habit that is hardest is the last one...PLAY! I can easily get caught up in my to do lists, my goals, and further aspirations and forget to take time for myself to enjoy what I have learned and just play!
Already I have enjoyed "playing" with setting up this blog though....so hopefully this experience itself will let me "play" with technology!!
In order to continue learning and hold myself accountable, I have attached the Learning Contract I created!
Signing off!
Ranelle
"I am learning all the time. The tombstone will be my diploma."
I desire to have that attitude, that life itself, all of it, is a learning opportunity and playground.
Reading "7 1/2 Habits of Highly Successful Lifelong Learners" offered me practical steps to continue in the pursuit of life long learning. The habits suggested were:
1. Goals: Begin with the end in mind
2. Responsibility: Accept responsibility for your own learning
3. View problems as challenges
4. Have confidence in yourself as a learner
5. Create your own learning toolbox
6. Use technology to your advantage
7. Teach and/or mentor others
71/2. PLAY!!!!
As I consider these habits, it was easy for me to recognize which one was most challenging for me and which one is easiest for me. I find it easy to take responsibility for my own learning. I have a natural curiosity to learn and an inner drive to know more...coupled with my independent spirit, I find it easy to take ownership of pursuing opportunities through classes, learning from friends or colleagues, or taking advantage of technology to teach me. When I can't find the information at my fingertips, I am persistent to find out how to learn more. I do not see learning as dependent on what others can tell me or show me, rather on me seeking and learning from all that is around me. On the flip side....the habit that is hardest is the last one...PLAY! I can easily get caught up in my to do lists, my goals, and further aspirations and forget to take time for myself to enjoy what I have learned and just play!
Already I have enjoyed "playing" with setting up this blog though....so hopefully this experience itself will let me "play" with technology!!
In order to continue learning and hold myself accountable, I have attached the Learning Contract I created!
Signing off!
Ranelle
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