Thing #23

I really enjoyed the majority of the content in this program. The 23 Things Blog correlated nicely with the LiveText assignments. It was definitely an abundant wealth of knowledge to shift through; however, for the most part it was all relatively helpful both for understanding classroom technology and applying those technologies and/or tools to effectively enhance classroom management. Most of the content covered in the 23 Things Blog and the LiveText assignments I personally considered more useful as educational tools, that when I begin teaching, I could use to get a broader understanding of specific information such as: lesson plans, teaching methods, content information, visual/audio aids, etc. As an educator I would have felt fairly vulnerable with the majority of the "unfiltered" material available in the social media outlets, chatrooms, and blogs. So, instead of having my students explore these educational "outlets" on their own I would supply them with the necessary links in order to better control the information viewed by my students, their parents, and fellow peers. Overall, I truly appreciate being able to explore the countless technologies and tools available for use and decide for myself which materials are appropriate for my teaching methods and grade levels.

Thing #22

Learning 2.0 - 23 Things for Teachers is based on Learning 2.0 - 23 Things, a staff development program for the Mesquite Independent School District. That program was based on the Learning 2.0 program that was designed by Helene Blowers and adapted by the California School Library Association and others. Content and style for Learning 2.0 - 23 Things for Teachers has been borrowed and duplicated with permission, under a Creative Commons License.

As educators and students a strong understanding of Creative Commons is necessary to ensure that we do not interfere with the rights of concepts, ideas, lesson plans, et., created by others; as well as, others can not interfere with the rights to any of our original ideas, concepts or creations. Creative Commons is important to understand because when used correctly it allows us to share our ideas, improve our teaching methods, learning methods, help solve creative classroom problems, etc. Also, with Creative Commons the ability to change or modify someone else's ideas or have them modify your own ideas is an excellent way to grow as educators; in a way trial and error produces more results when there are numerous people trying an idea or concept.

Thing #21

Thing #20

Thing #19

Thing #18

Thing #17

Thing #16

Thing #15

Thing #14

Thing # 13

I created an account in Zoho and explored Google Docs. I tried out Zoho Writer's features and found it rather confusing. Zoho seems to basically be a interactive or collaborative way of using Microsoft Word Documents. However, it seems like students could still collaborate on assignments and projects by simply emailing their parts to each other (we do this often in the MAT program once we've divided up the work and assigned a mediator/organizer).

Google Doc: English Saying

I love Google Docs! The applications are easy to access and implement. I created numerous documents that would be useful in an English classroom. Students could easily work collaboratively using Google Docs; when they access an application Google asks if they want to make it a collaboration type project. I like that it would be easy for the students to understand how to utilize the application in Google Docs; by eliminating instruction (or rather eliminating the need to re-explain the instructions due to confusing applications) students are able to foster their creativity and focus on the content of the assignment rather than trying to "do" the assignment.

Thing #11

I found google blog search to be the easiest method of finding feeds it was also the easiest to use. I found Technorati to be extremely confusing, the page layout was overwhelming and I found myself constantly having to read and scroll up and down the page to figure out how to begin searching. I found several useful feeds during my "travels." I plan on teaching English, History, Speech, and Family and Consumer Sciences. However, for the purposes of this search I focused on English, more specifically American and English Literature. I found feeds that covered lesson plans, activities, writing prompts, and media resources. I did however, find some unusual ones that contained content that was no appropriate for school; some feeds were more opinion based as opposed to educational. I found that lots of blogs referenced other blogs or newsfeeds and some even listed suggestions of websites, newsfeeds, and blogs to visit for additional information or for more in-depth information regarding certain topics.

Thing #12

Google is my go-to search engine and I've never even looked above the search bar, but there it is the "more" tab and a list of options drops down and of course I pick Google Books first... When you first click on "books" you're directed to a search page "Searching for a topic?" In the search bar I type The Iliad and I get 1,830,000 result..well okay how is this different then regular old Google? And then I see "My Library" on the left side bar and click. There in a neat little account any Google book I've purchased, any book available to "READ NOW," my favorites, what I'm reading now, what I plan on reading..and now I realize Google books is actually an interactive book club where you can see what other people or reading or read reviews and thoughts about any book and people can read yours. This would be a great way to show parents what we are currently reading in class and have planned to read for class; maybe they'll want to follow along and surprise their son or daughter with a little dinner time trivia! Google Translate was my next choice. Simply click on the "more" tab and select translate. I love how simple this tool because it will allow my students to translate any of the literary pieces we're working on. It is not uncommon to have French, Spanish, Latin, or German phrases in a classical piece of literature or poetry. Students can use Google Translate to better understand the literature being covered in class.

Thing #10

I found the RSS and newsreaders to be rather easy to use. I had no trouble finding topics that not only interested me but were relevant to education and more specifically teaching English/Language Arts. I wouldn't necessarily use this technology in my classroom for my students to use but I would use it to organize or find research to provide for my students. Teachers can take advantage of this technology by utilizing the mass amount of information that it can provide and by focusing on specific topis such as a teacher's content area(s).

Thing #9

This image was used using redkid.com http://www.redkid.net/generator/cubs/newsign.php?line1=We+are+not+as+cool&line2=as+Fenway%21&Go+Cubs=Go+Cubs If you're a baseball fan, it is obvious that I am a Red Sox fan ( there was not an  option to upload your own photo, otherwise I would have a photo of Fenway Park with "Yankee Cemetary" in a caption). Using generated images like these in presentations, handouts, PowerPoints, blogs, etc. are a great way to emphasize a point or enable students to remember important information. As an English teacher I could use an image of Hamlet on a study guide handout with his famous "To be, or not to be..." lines on a computer generated tshirt. The image would look out of place and using a sense of humor would help students to remember the joke but also answer correctly the question: Who spoke these famous lines? However, I think the best way to use web generated signs are as decoration in the classroom. "Turn in" boxes, bathroom passes, designated areas, and bulletin boards. While I understand the importance of generated images, I also know that students of all ages can get carried away with the "fun" part of a lesson and end up completely missing the educational reasons for an activity. I think that if in the end it does not enhance a lesson plan it should not be used.

Thing #8

SPELL WITH FLICKR Splashr I played with Spell and Splashr on Flickr. My only pet peeve was with Splashr. I loved that I could add and embedded Splashr presentation, however, because of the format of my blog and the inability to adjust the size of the embedded material my Splashr presentation is oversized and makes reading items on my blog difficult. That being said, it is a nice to way to collect images for students to view. When used in conjuction with a creative writing lesson I could search for several different "tags" in Splashr and allow each student to interact with the Splashr presentation and pick a photo to create a story from; or have them pick several photos that must all be included in their story. I LOVE Spell with Flickr. I have "Letter Art" throughout my house. I think its so creative of people to find Letters in uncommon objects, landscapes, and architecture. This app allows you to Spell any word. I used ENGLISH (my subject content). It then creates a mashup from flickr photos to spell the word you searched. I like that you can click on a letter in a word and change the image if you don't like it. Other than to make documents "look pretty" I don't think that I would be using this app as an instructional tool in my future classsroom. As far as posting photos on the web or Flickr; I think its a personal preference especially if and when minors are involved. If the minors are your own children then obviously the decision is yours, but if they are relatives or friends you should ask permission. I post a large amount of photos on Facebook of my family and our vacations and weekend trips; however I constantly check Facebook to make sure my privacy settings are set to Friends Only.

Thing #7

Flickr- Photo Sharing is a neat tool; however, it would be hard to restrict certain types of photography from being seen by students. I think that being able to search for photos using "tags" is helpful. I like that you can join groups on Flickr; this would allow me to set up a group for each of my classes and organize class projects. I was a yearbook editor in high school and Flickr would have been a great way for parents, guardians, friends, and students to submit photos from sporting events, travel games, homecoming, prom, etc. for submission into the yearbook (appropriate photos, of course).

I uploaded a photo of my now 14 month old son, Graysen, during our trip to Chattanooga. I picked this photo because it represents how active even an infant’s imagination can be and I think it’s important that regardless of the grade level or subject matter all students should continue to be asked to use their imagine.

As an instructional tool in 7-12th grade English/Language Arts I could create groups entitled: Shakespeare, The Iliad, The Odyssey, 18th Century, 19th Century, etc. These groups would have photos of authors, costumes, theatre productions, maps, video clips, and any other images related to the author, work, or genre.

As helpful as Flickr is as an organizational tool; I would still prefer PowerPoint for instructional purposes.



http://www.flickr.com/photos/67535751@N02/6148765827/

Thing #6

HULU.com

Hulu is a Web video service from NBC Universal and Fox Entertainment Group everything on Hulu comes from content providers, not users (e.g. YouTube). Hulu allows viewers to watch full-length movies, documentaries, and t.v. shows with limited commercial interruption. I had always used and viewed Hulu.com as a "backup dvr" but once I started to look at it as an educational website or tool the possiblities began to overwhelm me.

The fact that content on Hulu is set to expire after a certain amount of time seemed like a downside to me until I realized it meant content would always be relatively update or at least be the most recent pro/con argument for content in documentaries or t.v. specials such as 20/20, ID Investigates, etc.

I would use Hulu.com in my classroom to show students videos relevant to course content; interviews, theatre productions, feature length films, documentaries, etc. My only misgiving with Hulu.com is the "search" its very broad and there is no advance search criteria therefore you have to browse through sometimes several pages of video content.


For brief description of Hulu see: https://elearn.apsu.edu/d2l/lms/content/viewer/main_frame.d2l?ou=2989284&tId=19309363

Hulu.com, documentaries, key search: Literature, Using Literature to Teach Reading: http://www.ehow.com/video_4790936_using-literature-teach-reading.html

This is an example of a documentary link I may post on an educational blog that I use to communicate with parents and guardians of students. Like one of the key ideas of Web 2.0 I also believe that learning can and should continue outside of the classroom; that means parents and guardians (and they thought they wouldn't have homework too!) need to be engaged in their children's learning process.

Thing #5

"Examples of Web 2.0 include social networking sites, blogs, wikis, video sharing sites, hosted services, web applications, mashups and folksonomies."  

This means that most, if not all, of us have used Web 2.0. These web-related advances allow users to interact; not just simply read a mass of content. Web 2.0 makes collaborating on ideas and sharing various information medias easier. I enjoyed reading the articles regarding Web 2.0. I was mainly intrigued by "Web 2.0: A Guide for Educators", and "Teachers 2.0." I did watch Dr. Wesch's video entitled "The Machine is Us/ing Us" video (it made me rather motion sick).

In "Teachers 2.0" under the forums tab there is a tab called lessons, I found the concept of this tab to be brillant. This forum allows teachers, administrators, and bloggers to post lesson plans. But, not just completed lesson plans; they can submit "works in progress" or "needs help" lesson plans to stimulate feedback on way to improve a particular lesson plan. A great use of Web 2.0 collaboration.

"Web 2.0: A Guide for Educators" has several good points as to why it is important that we as individual educators and the education system as whole embrace Web 2.0. 

Visual information is everywhere online, and the importance of being visually literate cannot be overstated. Visual literacy has been identified as an essential literacy by Partnership for 21st Century Skills; and with the development of the tools and contributory capacity of Web 2.0, it is critical that schools focus on helping students acquire the skills necessary to navigate, evaluate, and to communicate with visual information.

As teachers we need to apprecitae how Web 2.o tools can allow us to educate our students beyond books and the printed word.

Thing #4

I commented on several EDUC 5540 blog posts. First I commented on Kelley Whitaker - Thing 8! because Kelley had great ideas about motivational posters and personalizing classroom decor. Second, Katrina Motter - Thing 10 because she expressed the importance of SSR/newsfeed to organize classroom information. I found Nathan Davis- Thing #9 very entertaining as he displayed and explained useful posters/images to display classroom rules and encourage a non-disruptive learning environment. Melissa Bullock- Thing #11 discussed Calvin and Hobbes and using comic strips to teach content ideas which made me think about using comic strips in the English classroom to teach literary elements and character analysis. Finally, I commented on  Scott Meyers- Thing 11 because we found opposite search tools to be more useful and it made me re-evaluate how to phrase my key terms when using search tools/engines.
Next I commented on blogs not related to EDUC 5540. I commented on Cool Cat Teacher's Blog "Teach This! Teaching with lesson plans and ideas that rock," because even though I plan on teaching 7-12 English, I plan on having my students write stories that they will read or present to elementary students. Next I commented on Colon Camara Bring On The Change blog "Teaching the Odyssey" because it gave great ideas on how to incorporate art into the lesson.

Commenting helps create a sense of community and interaction, since our 5540 classroom isn't structured in a lecture/discussion based  format the 23 Thing Blogs are a great way to "discuss" the topics covered in this class. Commenting is a great way to share ideas or pose questions in order to guide or continue the discussion process.

Thing #3

Blogs are used to navigate various topics; so why not use a blog as a way to allow students, parents, and guardians to navigate through your classroom?

As a future educator I can see several successful ways in which to utilize a blog for instructional/educational purposes. I could create a daily blog which allows students to review key information such as: readings discussed in class, homework assignments, a reminder of any upcoming tests/quizzes/projects. I could use the blog as a review tool; have students access the blog in class, click on hyperlinks, post comments to content related blog posts, etc. I could use the blog weekly as a way for parents or guardians to access course content and review what has been discussed and/or assigned for the following week, as well as links to study guides.

Thing #2

I am an avid blog follower of numerous topics; mainly parenting, cooking, and educational blogs. Blogs are incredibly useful tools. Not only do blog forums allow a wide array of subject matter to be discussed but it allows for varied opinions from the concerned teacher or parent to experts in a particular content field to be explored.

Creating the blog was very simple; step-by-step instructions. Creating the avatar was entertaining; I found it to be an informal tool or way to introduce yourself. I gave my avatar my physical characteristics, dressed her in professional attire, and added a classroom setting and books to visually emphasize my passion for teaching and reading.

Thing #1

After viewing the tutorial my first thought was, "well, by simply living, aren't we all lifelong learners?" But, then I realized the key word in the title of the tutorial SUCCESSFUL, because what is the point in being a lifelong learner if whatever it is that you are learning isn't being put to good use? I agree with the tutorial that setting goals, taking responsibility, having confidence, creating a toolbox, teaching and mentoring others, and using technology to our advantage are important aspects of the learning process; however, the habit that makes the most sense to me is PLAY.  To play; to amuse oneself, dally; gamble, risk; execute, perform; action. You must play in order to determine what one is even interested in. You must take a risk and find something new or gamble and explore below the surface of a common, comfortable area. You must execute a plan of action and play around with different ways in which to learn in order to have a better grasp of the content matter. Once a new skill or new knowledge has been acquired you must extend your talent in the form of teaching or aiding those who wish to explore the same material. After extensive knowledge or a skill is mastered it is important to play with the information learned. Play to improve, play to transform, play to change.

As an educator it is important to explain to students that learning does not end once you finish high school, or college, or a technical college; it does not end. Anytime you do something for the first time you've gained knowledge and a skill. A SUCCESSFUL lifelong learner is open to change and the unfamiliar; willing to try something new and the possibility of failing each attempt to order to eventually gain the knowledge or skill they are trying to acquire.