This APSU 23Things really is the beginning of something in me and in my learning. Ever since I began this "journey," I now find myself at school thinking of how a particular lesson would be better if I shared a YouTube video or had students listen to a podcast on the subject.
This has also been a humbling experience. To be honest, I started this doubting whether I would learn anything at all because I thought I was pretty tech-savvy. WOW! I was wrong. From the moment I read about what Web 2.0 was (yes, that early on), I realized that there is so much out there to learn and use to make myself a better instructor and to make my lessons more relevant and benefical to my students. And, I just can't shake the feeling that I have barely scratched the surface....so, this is not the end of a project...it is the beginning of a lifetime of learning...
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Drum roll, please....Thing #23
Throughout the APSU 23 Things, I have noticed attributions to the larger 43Things where you can track goals, and I have noticed for several links and videos a reference was given to the source or site it was borrowed from. I think Creative Commons is great because permission is given from the source for one to use the material as long as credit is given to the source or author. In everything we do on the internet there should be accountability. All of the students who have worked hard on their 23Things should give credit to materials used but should also get credit if someone borrows these great ideas from other students' blogs. Creative Commons makes internet teaching and learning fun and improves "legal" collaboration.
There are several programs on the web that I would like to adapt to meet my needs. However, the programs and ideas are not my own. I will use Creative Commons in the future to legally remix something I want to use and give credit to the appropriate sources, authors, and organizations.
There are several programs on the web that I would like to adapt to meet my needs. However, the programs and ideas are not my own. I will use Creative Commons in the future to legally remix something I want to use and give credit to the appropriate sources, authors, and organizations.
Thing 22
Podcast for: Romeo and Juliet
After Fall Break, my freshman students will begin reading Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. So when I was browsing through English Language Arts Podcasts through The Education Podcast Network, I was immediately drawn to the Shakespeare podcasts (especially the one linked to above for R & J ).
I found the Education Podcast Network especially easy to use. I started my search with literature in mind and before I knew it I had found a list of great podcasts that relate to literature. I could find my way around the site easily and did not get lost or have to ask myself how to get back to something I was interested in.
I would definitely consider podcasting with students. As I have mentioned in a previous blog, some of my classes have current event reports and that always spurs on discussion. A podcast would be a great tool to host discussions. A class podcast would be a great tool to reach a student who has missed one or more class periods.
I subscribe to several personal interest podcasts from speakers that live in other states. I will now add to my list some podcasts for educational support in my content area.
After Fall Break, my freshman students will begin reading Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. So when I was browsing through English Language Arts Podcasts through The Education Podcast Network, I was immediately drawn to the Shakespeare podcasts (especially the one linked to above for R & J ).
I found the Education Podcast Network especially easy to use. I started my search with literature in mind and before I knew it I had found a list of great podcasts that relate to literature. I could find my way around the site easily and did not get lost or have to ask myself how to get back to something I was interested in.
I would definitely consider podcasting with students. As I have mentioned in a previous blog, some of my classes have current event reports and that always spurs on discussion. A podcast would be a great tool to host discussions. A class podcast would be a great tool to reach a student who has missed one or more class periods.
I subscribe to several personal interest podcasts from speakers that live in other states. I will now add to my list some podcasts for educational support in my content area.
Thing 21
In one of my classes this year, students have to read a novel outside of class and then prepare a short commerical to advertise their book and get someone else to read it. Animoto is great for preparing a short visual aid for my students' commericals. It is fun and easy to use. My students could probably work on this for a class period and have a great thing to add to their presentations. Very cool!! Enjoy my Animoto video!
My Animoto Video
My Animoto Video
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Thing #20
I love YouTube! One afternoon I needed to find a clip of a SpongeBob episode to go along with a lesson I was giving the next day (it's a long story...just trust me that it was relevant...haha). I looked everywhere and could not find what I needed...and then it hit me...search YouTube, of course! So I did and found exactly what I needed. When my freshman began a unit in grammar to review the eight parts of speech, I used YouTube videos (like the one embedded above) to show the fun School House Rocks! videos on the eight parts of speech. I embedded the popular "Conjunction Junction" for your viewing pleasure...go on, watch it, you know you want to!!!
Anyway, I'd never let my students run loose on YouTube, but I know it does serve an educational purpose and it is great for educators to include visual aids in their lessons (the kids love watching, too!).
Thing #19
Visit TeacherPop
I am definitely a fan of social networking sites and professional online communities. I am active on Facebook, and I really like the opportunities that are there to network with other professionals. My favorite ways to learn from other educators and to contribute my ideas to a community of teachers is through my membership to the AP English Language and Literature Listserv and through my membership to the NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English) NING. These are great ways to share ideas and learn from each other. Also, great tools to just encourage and support each other along the way.
Thing #18
I love Facebook! Click Here to visit my Facebook page!
It is important for educators to know how social networking sites work because they are very useful communication tools. You can set up groups and stay in touch with fellow educators. Keep your group private and this can be a place to meet on a regular basis to keep in touch. I like that social networking sites like Facebook have privacy controls so content can be blocked. Facebook has less abrasive ads than MySpace and is more user friendly.
I use Facebook as a means to communicate with other teachers and parents. It helps me maintain a great report with both. Most students have a Facebook page, so a classroom idea would be to create a Facebook Group for your class that only your students (and their parents) can join. This can be a safe place to ask questions of the teacher and the teacher can post classroom news and assignment information. This can be a place to store project instructions and reminders for students when they are at home working.
Update: I am more than half-way finished with the APSU23Things. This assignment is by far the best "thing" I've done for a graduate-level class!
It is important for educators to know how social networking sites work because they are very useful communication tools. You can set up groups and stay in touch with fellow educators. Keep your group private and this can be a place to meet on a regular basis to keep in touch. I like that social networking sites like Facebook have privacy controls so content can be blocked. Facebook has less abrasive ads than MySpace and is more user friendly.
I use Facebook as a means to communicate with other teachers and parents. It helps me maintain a great report with both. Most students have a Facebook page, so a classroom idea would be to create a Facebook Group for your class that only your students (and their parents) can join. This can be a safe place to ask questions of the teacher and the teacher can post classroom news and assignment information. This can be a place to store project instructions and reminders for students when they are at home working.
Update: I am more than half-way finished with the APSU23Things. This assignment is by far the best "thing" I've done for a graduate-level class!
Thing #17
I love, love, love del.icio.us! A friend introduced us about a year or so ago, and I use this bookmarking site often to organize and share my bookmarks. About a month ago, I joined a listserv for teachers of English. We share our del.icio.us bookmarked sites often. In fact, it is the preferred method of sharing information (even if a teacher uses a different bookmark management site). It is super easy to just send a colleague the list of bookmarks for resources they need instead of typing in a bunch of sites or spending way too long uploading and sending files.
I really wouldn't use this in the classroom. However, I see the value in using this when students are researching. They can just send me their bookmarks, and I can make sure they are researching in the best way and looking through proper sources.
I really wouldn't use this in the classroom. However, I see the value in using this when students are researching. They can just send me their bookmarks, and I can make sure they are researching in the best way and looking through proper sources.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Thing #16
I had already set up an iGoogle page in another "thing," so I decided to explore Pageflakes for this "thing." While I like iGoogle better than Pageflakes for mere cosmetic purposes, I liked how Pageflakes organized the material (or interests) I had chosen. I like that the news is personalized for Clarksville and within seconds I had the weather updated and news stories displayed for my area. While I enjoyed working with PageFlakes and would recommend it to others, I will stay with iGoogle as my personalized home page.
The online calendars are useful because I am on the computer more than I am in my purse (which is where I keep a hardcopy of a calendar). I use my online calendar to keep my to do list organized, keep up with family/friends birthdays, and to keep all of my meetings straight. I keep my to-do list with my calendar. I think that having a separate tool to keep a to-do list is too much work and too many extra steps to take. I'd have to post a reminder in my calendar to check my to-do list! haha...
If I could get everyone on the same calendar, I like the feature of keep dates straight and adding reminders to a calendar that my students/parents can access on the web.
If you need a place to keep everything: a calendar, to-do list, text/images, etc. and all in a neat package, I recommend Scrybe. This is really more like have a day planner (you know those big portfolio things that has a calendar, notes, reminders, to-do lists, etc all in one?). If you are online often, Scrybe is a great alternative to those big, bulky, and expensive day planners.
Thing #15
I appreciate the flexiblity and functionality of wikis. When I play around in them (like the 23Things Sandbox), I must admit that I get this sense of belonging and have a good feeling of significantly contributing to something. I think it would be fun to have a class wiki in which students can contribute and post something on the internet. I think it is a great way for students to feel validated and appreciated.
I think it would be really neat for students in other schools to connect over a wiki to share study tips and test strategies. They could even connect on content they are learning in their own classrooms and discuss what they are getting out of their classes.
Just a few thoughts I had while looking at and engaging in wikis!
I think it would be really neat for students in other schools to connect over a wiki to share study tips and test strategies. They could even connect on content they are learning in their own classrooms and discuss what they are getting out of their classes.
Just a few thoughts I had while looking at and engaging in wikis!
Thing #14
As an English teacher, I frequently assign writing project and process papers. Students are always asked to "brainstorm" on their topic. With mind mapping students can collaborate on the brainstorming process like never before. Many mind mapping applications are in real time and allow for communities or groups. So far, http://www.mindmeister.com/ is my favorite website for mind mapping because students can do this inside or outside of the classroom, continually engage in brainstorming (instead of it being a one time and forget everything after) experience because their notes are saved, and students can even prepare a presentation within mindmeister.
My students frequently give presentations and they must include visual aids for the other students (and me). The Flowchart Software available at http://www.flowchart.com/ is really easy for me to use so I know students will find it a breeze to navigate and build flowcharts from. Students can collaborate within their group and update charts in real time. My students will never again have a good enough excuse as to not having visual aids!
My students frequently give presentations and they must include visual aids for the other students (and me). The Flowchart Software available at http://www.flowchart.com/ is really easy for me to use so I know students will find it a breeze to navigate and build flowcharts from. Students can collaborate within their group and update charts in real time. My students will never again have a good enough excuse as to not having visual aids!
Thing #13
I love how simple Zoho is use, and I love the extra features the processor has to offer that Word/WordPad does not. Being a teacher, I appreciate the function of setting up documents via the readymade templates. It is neat how Zoho allows the user to post documents to his/her blog. Overall, Zoho is a great tool and I would like for my students to use it because they can type and edit AND share their work with their peers and me ALL in real time.
Zoho has some functions that regular desktop applications do not. I am not totally comfortable with everything being stored online but Zoho has the capability of working on documents offline so I think I could get used to it. I like how this processor can revert to a past document or compare a new document with an old one. This is great for students writing a process paper. They can easily compare their rough draft to their final draft. I think students would find peer editing fun with Zoho.
Next up: Thing #14-Going with the flow....
Zoho has some functions that regular desktop applications do not. I am not totally comfortable with everything being stored online but Zoho has the capability of working on documents offline so I think I could get used to it. I like how this processor can revert to a past document or compare a new document with an old one. This is great for students writing a process paper. They can easily compare their rough draft to their final draft. I think students would find peer editing fun with Zoho.
Next up: Thing #14-Going with the flow....
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Thing #12
Google: Not just for searching!
My favorite feature is iGoogle because the user can customize his or her Google homepage with a personal look and with personal preferences of tools that appear when you log in. I already have gmail so my account is already established. I customized by own page by adding a theme of a cute little frog and then selecting my personal interests of news, art, entertainment, and cooking. All I had left to do was choose my own region and set my city....see for yourself:
Next, I explored Google alerts. This aspect of Google is great because I can monitor only the developing news stories I am interested in. This is great to keep up with entertainment and sports news, as well. I played around with the alerts just to see what would happen. I typed Paris Hilton in the search...did you know she is going to star in a new reality show?! Did you know Paris just settled on a lawsuit with Hallmark? You would if you had Google Alerts!!!! :)
My favorite feature is iGoogle because the user can customize his or her Google homepage with a personal look and with personal preferences of tools that appear when you log in. I already have gmail so my account is already established. I customized by own page by adding a theme of a cute little frog and then selecting my personal interests of news, art, entertainment, and cooking. All I had left to do was choose my own region and set my city....see for yourself:
Thing #11
I rely on Google for all of my searching needs. Of course, the easiest and most preferred method of finding feeds is through Google. I have my RSS feeder set up through Google Reader and I can access it through my gmail account with Google. This makes getting all my feeds and searching for new ones a snap through Google.
I found some of the lesser known blogs a bit confusing and the Edublog site had some "Page cannot be Found"/broken links. To be honest, I tried some of these other search tools but came back to Google. I did like the US News Topix.net to search for important, current news headlines. I could see myself using this application because the news feed topics were clearly listed and easy to read/use.
I tried out Yahoo News syndication through RSS and liked how they organize their feeds by topic. Yahoo is easy to use and has a great wealth of RSS feeds to keep users updated with what is going on in the US and in the World. Yahoo also has feeds that cover everything from entertainment to science to health and money. The RSS feeds include obituaries and even a section called "odd news."
I found some of the lesser known blogs a bit confusing and the Edublog site had some "Page cannot be Found"/broken links. To be honest, I tried some of these other search tools but came back to Google. I did like the US News Topix.net to search for important, current news headlines. I could see myself using this application because the news feed topics were clearly listed and easy to read/use.
I tried out Yahoo News syndication through RSS and liked how they organize their feeds by topic. Yahoo is easy to use and has a great wealth of RSS feeds to keep users updated with what is going on in the US and in the World. Yahoo also has feeds that cover everything from entertainment to science to health and money. The RSS feeds include obituaries and even a section called "odd news."
Thing #10
In our fast-paced society that is getting faster every day, receiving information via RSS feeds are the way to do. What I like about the RSS feeds is that you can opt in to receive the information you want and it comes simply and quickly. I like that RSS feeds are customizable and I can find news information and fun information all in one place. Newsreaders are a convenient way to stay on top of what is going on in the world and I like to be informed in a timely manner.
I would easily be able to integrate RSS and newreaders in my classes. I have students give current event reports every Tuesday-Thursday in class. I like the idea of using the RSS and newsreaders for students to find their information and report to the class.
Teachers have a matter of a few minutes in between lessons (for elementary) and in between classes (for middle/high). We need to be able to know what is going on in the world and in our own groups in a matter of a minute or two. That is the best quality of RSS and newsreaders. Teachers in the same school or district can even create a public page to link blogs together.
I would easily be able to integrate RSS and newreaders in my classes. I have students give current event reports every Tuesday-Thursday in class. I like the idea of using the RSS and newsreaders for students to find their information and report to the class.
Teachers have a matter of a few minutes in between lessons (for elementary) and in between classes (for middle/high). We need to be able to know what is going on in the world and in our own groups in a matter of a minute or two. That is the best quality of RSS and newsreaders. Teachers in the same school or district can even create a public page to link blogs together.
Thing #9
Here are a few of my creations from http://www.imagechef.com/:
ImageChef.com I Am Awesome
My daughter and I had fun playing with the online generators! She loved seeing her name in lights, in the sand, and in a Hollywood star. These online generators were fun and easy to use. I could see my students creating these for a blog or even to create and save for use in the classroom as the computer backgrounds. Students could even give lessons on how to create an image using an online generator.
ImageChef.com I Am Awesome
My daughter and I had fun playing with the online generators! She loved seeing her name in lights, in the sand, and in a Hollywood star. These online generators were fun and easy to use. I could see my students creating these for a blog or even to create and save for use in the classroom as the computer backgrounds. Students could even give lessons on how to create an image using an online generator.
Thing #8
I created a jigsaw puzzle of a Flickr photo (http://bighugelabs.com/jigsaw.php) at Big Huge Labs. I think this would be great to use in the classroom. Students can upload a photo and create a jigsaw puzzle and then exchange their puzzle with a peer to work.
I think that posting pictures and browsing pictures is a great opportunity but this must be done with care. There are inappropriate photos out there for students, so they should not be allowed to freely browse without teacher supervision. Of course, parents should be kept in full disclosure when posting classroom/student photos and teachers must take care to follow the technology rules and privacy policies that their schools have put in place.
Thing #7
Bryan Wilson Photography 
My talented friend, Bryan Wilson, has such a great eye for finding the beauty in everyday objects. When I had this assignment to explore Flickr, I took the opportunity to check in with Bryan to see what he has been "shooting" lately. I just love this photo of an old fashioned alarm clock. Such a simple photo and yet so beautiful and insightful. I love the sharpness of the clock in contrast to the faded background. I am glad that Flickr provides a professional looking platform for amateur photographers to showcase their work.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/monahura/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/monahura/
For Fall Break, my family is going on a beach vacation. This prompted my Flickr search for Florida beaches. In addition to finding individual photographs like the one above by Photographer: Mona Hura, I found groups like Beach Photography within Flickr. Searching within Flickr is super easy, and I was able to find and browse through pictures from friends and from key word/tag searches in a matter of minutes. I like that Flickr provides a sleak platform for users to post pictures. Even the most casual and informal pictures look great through Flickr.
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