thing #17

• Which podcasts did you preview? Self Improvement Tips Podcasts  and Cool Teacher Podcast Podcasts.
• What did you think? I think these can be useful in and out of the classroom.  Especially with teaching as a career, it is important to always stay a step ahead of your students.  The podcasts are just another example of gaining knowledge through technology.
• Which directories did you search and were you able to find podcasts of value?PODCASTDIRECTORY.COM and iTUNES
• Do you have any ideas about incorporating existing podcasts into your classroom or professional learning?  I can tie anything I need to into a lesson to make it both challenging and fun.  Students could use this as a bell ringer, for projects, research, etc.  The possibilities are endless.
• If you already use iTunes (or other podcatcher) and/or have an iPod or other MP3 player that you use for podcast listening, please share a bit about your experiences.  

          I live by my ipod.  I download tons of free podcasts and music.  We are supposed to prepare our students for the world.  We should use any and everything we can to make learning fun.  I am very down to earth with my students and believe the best way for them to learn is through things that are familiar and relevant to them.

thing #16

So.....how could we not use this in classroom learning and organization?  I like that this site encourages knowledge as power.  It is a community platform for books discussions and suggestions. 

 
"LibraryThing knows a lot about books and how books connect, providing some of the best recommendations on the web.
LibraryThing gives you library-quality data for your books, and is also full of social information. Each book page shows you which members have the book and what they think about it — tags, reviews and even links to conversations about the book."

Another cool thing about this site is that you can keep track of local events and fairs, etc.  You can keep track of your favorite libraries and other local things.  We can use this with our students to encourage knowledge and sharing ideas.  It makes reading fun and you are able to read with a purpose depending on the list you put together.  A fun assignment might be to have students create book lists and trade with a partner.  They could pick a couple of books from that list to read throughout the year with assignments.  They could then post reviews on the class wiki.  I like it!! (FYI: I always blank when I walk into half price books.  I forget all the books I have been keeping a mental list of.  This site would enable me to keep track of these and discover new ones!)

thing #15

I really liked this 'thing'.  I can think of a zillion uses in and out of the classroom to use this site.  It helps with organization and compiling resources in one central place.  Students could compile lists as an assignent that they can use on another.  I love that I can search and get resources I never found on google!
Have fun checking out my bookmarks!  I found many publishing and music related sites, I hope this is of interest to others too!
http://www.delicious.com/theotherotherpov

thing #14

The first site I visited was:
http://tadalist.com/

I think this is a very useful tool for teaching, or everyday life.  I would love to have the students have maybe weekly or monthly lists and grade them on their progress.  This is a great organizational tool and it helps to keep your goals in  plain sight.  I like the fact that people can share lists because it is interesting to see another person's goals.  It might challenge you to expect more from yourself.  With this site, you are able to create your own lists, assign lists to other people, share lists, subscribe via RSS, and more.  I would recommend it.  I've already created two lists!

The second site I visited was:
http://polldaddy.com/

You are able to set up an online survey in minutes and start collecting responses in real-time!  A feature I found that was cool was the ability to interact directly with facebook.  So...I could create a facebook strictly for the classroom, post quizzes in real time and have the students take them and post comments about their reactions.  To stretch their thinking, I could assign them the task of creating their own quizzes and collecting the data on the posted responses.  I am very excited about this one (I know, I'm nerdy!).

THING #13

I used one of the links on the 23things page for images generators: http://www.customsigngenerator.com.




I had fun playing around with different images and comic strips. I think we forget how much fun we can have and how creative we can be, until we are forced to recognize it again! I saved several images to my home comupter that I plan to use in my classroom. So many kids are visual and they appreciate humor. Why not cater to that and utilize tools that could possibly excite them to learn a lesson?!

thing #9

1. I think the sandbox experience was fun. It was like a parent sending their child out into the world to explore on their own. We had a blank slate to combine all of our lessons and create without rules (somewhat)!
I never really thought about all the connections we can make as teachers on many different digital platforms. I am going to utilize the web more than ever in lesson planning when I need a fresh idea. I love all of the new things I have been exposed to!


http://misd23sandbox.wikispaces.com/Finally+I+figured+it+out%21

thing #12 continued...or done right!

thing #23

TWITTER AND CLASSROOM 2.0

What were your overall impressions?  My overall impression of Classroom 2.0 was positive.  I never knew this site existed but I have now added it to my favorites list on my PC.  I love that there are free online conferences, chatrooms, exchange of ideas, etc.  This is an amazing resource and should be shared with every new teacher.  I already have a twitter account and I never thought of adding any education sites but I will now.  Updates other than people's boring social statuses will help me to grow as an educator and possibly learn something new, daily.
Did you find any discussions or resources of value?  Everything on C 2.0 seemed like valuable information.  It is an educational site and I will be frequenting it.
Do you have any ideas for using social networking (including Twitter) in your own professional or personal learning, or in classroom learning?  I think setting up a twitter strictly for classroom use would be fun for the kids and myself.  It will make it fun for them to get feeds about the subject they are in and make it relevant.

thing #22

1. Why is it important that educators know how social networking works?
It is important that we know how these work to not only keep us up to date with our students, but to network and connect with other professionals in our field. 
2. What new insights did you gain about these popular sites?  Myspace is 'dead' now.  I switched over to Facebook awhile back and I plan to delete my myspace account.
3. What did you like or dislike about each of the sites you explored?  I like the user friendliness of facebook.  Myspace moves to slow for me now!
4. Which site had the most useful features?  Facebook, by far.
5.Can you see an educational application for any of these sites?  I see an educational use if a page was created strictly for that and all of  your students were added as friends as an entire class.....but I think a wiki would be more appropriate.  Facebook has been very useful to me in job hunting, exchanging ideas with other people in my grad classes, and booking shows for my band.  It is a quick and easy way to connect with people if you so choose.

thing #7b

[“Hipster” is more than a noun — it’s a lifestyle. An overused, albeit elastic, coinage, it can describe everything from vintage T-shirt connoisseurs to anyone who kinda sorta maybe knows Cory Kennedy. And now it’s a subject of highbrow discourse. N+1, the Dumbo-based “journal of politics, literature and culture,” aims to shed new light on the phenomenon with the release of “What Was the Hipster?: A Sociological Investigation” (n+1 Foundation, $10), a pocket-size pop theory text on topics ranging from the aesthetics of party photography to the, ahem, “hipster Other.” ]

     I had to repost part of this review for everyone to read.  I found the book ad on my fashion feed, http://www.nytimes.com/pages/fashion/index.html?partner=rss&emc=rss.  For any person of my generation who is bored to death with overpriced 'goodwill' clothing that has overtaken our mainstream stores, or sick of seeing men in pants shorter and tighter than my own, hopefully this book will explain why that is exactly.  What I find even more irritating is the fact that my friends and myself have been thriftstore shopping for years and were teased  by many who are now wearing the same thing but because it is labled 'high fashion'.  I guess it holds true that we will never wear anything that hasn't been worn, just as we will never write anything that hasn't already been written!

thing #7a

Something interesting I wish we had the supplies for is the  video scavenger hunt I read about on the http://www.speedofcreativity.org/ blog on my feed.  Technology creates opportunity and I wish we had the means to offer this, not just in a technology class, but in core classes as well!  I would love to have a flip camera scavenger hunt for my science or math classes!  We have already discussed 'scavenger hunts' for heat energy examples through the school....how wonderful would it be if this could be captured on camera!  It would would make the assignment ten times more fun than the original.

thing #12

http://www.slide.com/r/Lh-k6bwG5T-EcuHJYKa6QisNuSkDWdip?previous_view=lt_embedded_url


'love'-

by sharonregala

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sharonregala/5119764310/sizes/l/in/photostream/

'calm'-

by Gandalf.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/max-tim-tom/5119739880/sizes/l/in/photostream/

'letting go'-

by NCBrian

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ncbrian/5119140625/sizes/l/in/photostream/

     I really enjoyed this thing!  I am going to create slide shows as often as possible.  I would love to have the kids take their own pictures and then display one slide show a week of their work.  I think it would be a fun way to help the class know each other better and explore their creativity!

thing #11

The theme I have selected is scenery that displays an emotion. 
     I found love-

by sharonregala

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sharonregala/5119764310/sizes/l/in/photostream/

    I found calm-

by Gandalf.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/max-tim-tom/5119739880/sizes/l/in/photostream/

    I found 'letting go'-

by NCBrian

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ncbrian/5119140625/sizes/l/in/photostream/

    I found faith-

by Rambling VanDog

http://www.flickr.com/photos/29133656@N03/5119143481/sizes/l/in/photostream/

     I actually found it hard to narrow down my selection from the millions of options. I like the different points of views that Flickr makes possible.  You can allow your students to explore the world through photography.  There are places they may never see in their life time that are available at the touch of a button.  They get to see the world through other people's eyes, but the opportunity to explain it through their own.  I think the possibilities for assignments, no matter the subject are endless!  If you make a lesson relate to a child, they own it.  We should do this as often as possible.

thing #10

     I am a songwriter, so I am very aware of the CC logo.  I've noticed it on many websites. 
On the flip side, I use video and adio clips all of the time if it helps get a point across better.  I am quick to share photos myself, but not so much my lyrics.  There are many positives and negatives to using CC but it is up to each individual to decide for themselves if the good outweighs the bad.  I think there are more advantages to using it in my classroom, than disadvantages.  What do you think?

thing #7

     I am a writer at heart, so commenting on other people's words has never posed a problem.  I do however, depending on the subject, have to cencor myself to some extent.  When I am passionate about something, I tend to get carried away.  However, I enjoy reading other people's opinions and experiences.  I hope to only add something positive to their journey online.

thing #6

I have added two new blogs to my feed:
http://www.speedofcreativity.org/
http://www.thisweekineducation.com/.

They should both be extremely helpful resources for the classroom.  I will get the latest updates in education and creative ideas for my students.  The most interesting thing I read on the education blog was about a international school in China.  They are using an in-house YouTube clone website for video sharing.  It is pretty amazing and I think any school district with the funds to support such an idea, should. Again, our students spend a huge portion of their lives online.  Why not make their education ready at their fingertips as well?

thing #5

     I think I am going to like the reader and feeds.   I have never used it because I didn't know it existed.  It makes perfect sense now, and I know what the orange icon in the right hand corner of pages is used for!  It will be an awesome way to keep up with news and info I might need daily.  I don't have t.v. so the internet is my only connection to current events.

     I subscribed to http://frugaltraveler.blogs.nytimes.com/feed/ because traveling is part of my 'bucket list'.  I like that there are daily updates on cheap ways to travel.  I am always in the mood to learn a new way to save money!

     Another blog I subscribed to was http://feeds.nytimes.com/nyt/rss/FashionandStyle.  Besides teaching, fashion and music are my passions.  Being updated on trends around the world will not only be interesting to me, but give me something to share with my students.

     I like that I have the option to constantly edit my feeds.  I have a short attention span so adding new info and taking away what I am bored with will keep me involved.  I also like that I am actually learning from this class, and things that I can use in all aspects of my life!

Thing #8

Thing #8

Do you think there may be a wiki in your future?

I most certainly believe there will be a wiki in my future.  We are all on an ongoing journey to help our students not only learn, but enjoy learning.  Anything I can use as an aid, reference or tool will be used!

I explored three different wikis to help me better understand their benefits. 

1) Schools in the Past - First graders interview parents and grandparents to find out how schools have changed.  I thought this one was cute and it was evident it was in relation to a first grade class because it read at that level.  It was very simple and plain.  Older students would need a much busier wiki, with more tabs and options.

2)  Dr. Reich's Chemistry Wiki - Wiki site providing resources to support high school chemistry course and to showcase student projects.  I loved that he had grades posted so that the student are aware of what assignments they are missing and are able to make up the assignments.  I think that today’s student’s struggle with learning accountability and resourcefulness and wikis, if put together right, enable them to do such.

3)  Math 12V Outcomes Portfolio - Twelfth grade math students create an online review for the entire math curriculum.  I have two inclusion math models classes, and this would be an amazing tool for them if they were willing to utilize it.  I think having them create the review as an assignment would not only give them better understanding of the subject and future resources, but give them a sense of pride and accomplishment.

           

            Overall I love the use and creation of wikis in a classroom setting.  Everything in our world is now computer based, so why not carry that over to the classroom?  I do think there should be more pictures on the wikis and music if possible.  I like the possibilities!

THING #4

     BLOGS READ:

           Patrick's Update: 5th Grade AND Extreme Biology: Imagine Turning On the Faucet and Nothing Coming Out     

           Blogging is much more informal than other styles of writing.  Yet, I believe this is why it is so widely used and preferred.  There isn’t a ‘blogging literacy’ like there is a ‘texting literacy’ really.  There is however, a technology and web navigation requirement, to some extent.

I'm an inclusion teacher so it has been tough through the first six weeks to find my place in the classroom, but I'm getting there.  My job is to make sure the kids learn the best way they can.  I try to go above and beyond to reach my students in any way possible.  The hardest part is really knowing what is going on with each of them, at the same time.  Some kids are too scared to speak out in class for fear of being laughed at, having the wrong answer, etc.  However, those kids may feel much more freedom in expressing themselves via blogs.  I think they can be an amazing tool in the classroom and would love to utilize them.

thing #2

    

     Web 2.0 tools have already totally changed the ways we are able to better our classrooms.  We live in a very fast paced society.  Our student's attention spans are trained to be the length of a commercial break.  However, there are endless possibilities to the lessons we can make interactive and digital.  Every teacher can create a wiki.  Every student can create an interactive blog.  Assignments can involve digital cameras, videos, etc.  Students have to be interested to be engaged.  They 'get bored' very easily so we have to allow them to be present and active in their own learning!

thing #1

    

1.    Which habit(s) may be most challenging for you to employ as part of your Learning 2.0 - 23 Things experience?

Honestly,  I believe that viewing my problems as challenges (habit 3),  might give me some struggle.  However, I like what was written about viewing every obstacle as a learning opportunity.  I can carry that over into my everyday life.

2.    Which habit(s) will be easiest, or is most resonent for you as a lifelong learner?

I think habit 1 is easiest for me.  I always have to visualize an end to any task or challenge I take on.  I like to map out a plan to reach my goals so I can mark off milestones along the way.

3.    Which habit do you think will be most important for you as you work through this course, and why?

Habit #2 will be the most valuable in relation to this coarse and in my life in general.  We have to accept responsibility for our own learning, value it and take pride in our accomplishments.  We have to finish what we start and do the best that we can.  Nobody represents you but you.