Thing 24 Will My Frontier Ever End??

As I look back on my journey into technology, I can honestly say it was an adventure.  Granted it was not an adventure in the sense of climbing a mountain or swimming with dolphins, but it was an adventure none-the-less.  I certainly experienced all the emotions that people normally would if they did those things – I laughed, cried, smiled, got frustrated, felt proud, was nervous, etc.  I went through it all.  Now that this journey is ending, I am happy that I did it.  It took me out of my comfort zone and really forced me to confront my fears about technology.  I would have continued to avoid technology until it would be absolutely impossible to go without it.

            Although each of the 23 Things brought something new to my plate, I think the feature that influenced me most was the overall journey.  After I began completing each task, I was surprised how much I enjoyed them.  Perhaps it was the feat of accomplishing an area of technology that I have never attempted before, or maybe it was showing my children that you should not be afraid to face your fears.  I think I have to give myself a pat on my back.  To start from such a novice background, to being able to create my very own blog, I am amazed that I actually did all of the 23 Things on my own (well, maybe with a little help from my kids); I am proud of myself.  It took a great amount of courage to venture into the world of technology.  I know that might sound funny and silly to some of you, but for me, it is a real fear.  Some people are scared of heights (my husband’s knuckles turn white when he has to go over a bridge), I am afraid of technology.  This class, however, has helped me begin to conquer those fears. 

If I had to pick just one of the 23 Things that I enjoyed most, I would have to choose Thing 22, creating my own Livebinder.  This feature seems most applicable for my purposes.  I am notorious for ripping out articles from magazines, printing information off the computer, and shoving everything in a box.  With every single rip and print, I always say, “I will look at all of this in a few days.”  Well, it has been about 4 years and I have (at last count) three boot-size shoeboxes full of paper just waiting … and waiting for me.  Right at this very moment, I have a bag full of saved articles shoved in my dryer so my husband will not find it! – [Am I in the pre-hoarder stage??] –  Livebinders will save me from all of that though.  Now I can finally organize all my paper scraps and website information in one convenient place, and I can make as many as I want.  This way, I can get rid of the boxes, but still have all the material that I want to keep. 

Although this class was frustrating as times, I am glad that I completed it.  As an older teacher competing against the spring chickens, I will certainly have to step up my game.  Younger teachers have grown up knowing how to incorporate this technology; they use it in almost every part of their lives.  It is the older group of educators that has get on board and conform to the changing times.  With each passing year, technology will have an even bigger impact on education.  It is up to me to take charge of my own education and learn to integrate technology into my lessons.  This class has certainly given me a taste of what to expect, and I will continue to learn and grow in this ever-changing field.

I say so-long to you all for now, but be on the lookout for me in the future.  Who knows, maybe I will be the next Martha Stewart of technology! ;)

Thing 23 Sharing the Creativity

Out of curiosity, I entered “Learning 2.0 +23 Things” into the search engine to see what results would surface.  I was amazed to see that other colleges and universities had similar programs to the one we are completing.  After looking through a number of the other programs, I found that we are right on par with the larger named schools (Go APSU!).  All of the Learning 2.0/23 Things were comparable with only a few topics that varied.  While exploring around, it appears the the 23 Things project is based off of two other pieces of work.  The first is the website entitled, 43 Things.  It is a site that allows people to list and keep track of 43 things that they would like to do, or goals they would like to set.  The second is an article from Stephen Abram, entitled “43 Things I (or You) might want to do this year.”  This is designed as a 1-year project, where the other is for a longer period of time. 

The Creative Commons assignment that we completed as part of our larger LiveText project, really put copyrighting and copyright infringement into prospective.  I must admit that I have ‘copied and pasted’ a few images that I have found while surfing the internet.  In my defense though, I did not use it for commercial purposes, did not manipulate it in any way, and in no manner profited from it.  I did not realize though, that what I was doing was wrong.  I just assumed that since the material was on the internet, it was open for others to use.  Now that I have learned more about copyright infringement and Creative Commons, I will know the correct and legal avenues to take without violating any laws.  This is definitely a serious topic that I will cover with my students.  It is inevitable that they will also publish their own creative material on the internet for others to see.  They will need to know how to protect their creative/intellectual property as well.  They will need to be aware of locations on the internet where they can search and use material without legal ramifications.  Exposing information like Creative Commons to my students early will help them later in the future.  They will be able to apply that knowledge and have peace of mind when they work all of their future projects.

Thing 22 Where have all the Trapper Keepers gone?

Elementary Education

http://www.livebinders.com/play/play?id=855003

Oh, my how things have come such a long way since my days of carrying a Trapper-Keeper.  Now, come on, …. I know that those of us who were in school in the 1970’s and 1980’s had them, and decorated them with puffy stickers or gel stickers.  I loved mine so much that I put it in my memory box so when I am 90 years old I can show my great grandchildren.  By that time though, it will be a relic and the kids will have no clue what it is. 

            Considering that teachers have so much stuff to keep track of, Livebinders seem like a great alternative to filing hard copies of everything.  I think the biggest advantage is that it is available online, and can be accessed from any place that has internet access.  Teachers do not have to schlepp their wheeled suitcases home anymore.  They can create lessons, look at projects, and review material while sitting poolside soaking in the warm sun.  In all seriousness though, Livebinders are excellent because teachers can keep everything organized by tabs and sub-tabs, and streamline the resources that they access on a regular basis.  Not only is the Livebinder a place for websites, but teachers can also upload their own documents.  They can make an education Livebinder for personal use or they can create one for students to access when completing a larger project.  The nice thing is that teachers can do some of the legwork and choose specific websites to link on the Livebinder.  This way students do not just click on random websites that they find.  This will ensure that the information and websites they access are reliable and appropriate for their age.  Students can also produce their own Livebinders.  Teachers can assign a Livebinder project that the students must complete.  Students can research all the necessary information and then compile by tabs and sub-tabs.  Because projects like these are not restrictive, students can shine in their strengths and show what they can accomplish.  Teachers can then use these Livebinders as documentation for their progress throughout the year. 

Below is a Livebinder that I created.  I had such a great time compiling useful sites for students to use.  Since I am in the elementary field, I wanted to make a binder geared toward that age range.  For this specific activity, I concentrated on three tabs – Math, Language Arts, and General Use.  I chose Math because my son excels at it and I am constantly trying to challenge his math skills.  There is only so much he can do on the Math App that my husband has on his iPad, and he is getting bored with it.  I chose Language Arts because my daughter loves to write her own stories.  She has a notebook filled with imaginative stories, and I really want to foster that creativity.  The last tab entitled, General, I intended for the ‘all-encompassing’ material that the kids like to do.

Out of curiosity, I checked out some of the other binders that other teachers have already constructs.  Most of them are really outstanding.  In looking at the binders, it is obvious that teachers think Livebinders are valuable tools.  Why else would they spend so much time creating them.  I was impressed with the thought and skill that went into constructing them.  I hope that with some time and practice, I can make one just as good.  I definitely plan to use the Livebinder application when I start teaching.  I have already set up a few others so I can start compiling websites and documents that I feel are important.  … Now, if only I could find a way to put some cool 1970 stickers on the virtual cover …

Thing 21 Channeling Stephen Spielberg

Make your own slide show at Animoto.

            If I can boldly say this … I just might be the next Stephen Spielberg … No, not really, but in my non-tech would, that is pretty darn amazing for me.  I really enjoyed using the Animoto website to produce my very own video.  Whenever I am at a wedding, I always wonder how the videographer makes the stereotypical wedding video montage that is projected behind the couple and plays on the never-ending death loop.  It always includes the obligatory naked baby photo, the head stuck in the toilet photo (maybe that was just mine), the terrible 80’s hair/clothing photo, and the embarrassing high school prom date photo.  Oh, those were the days.  The video I made, is nowhere near that, but I did have a fun time creating it none-the-less.  Since I do not have any digital pictures on my computer, I used the ones offered on the Animoto website.  There are quite a few photographs from which to choose, so that was nice.  After scrolling through the bank of photograph categories, I selected a variety of flower pictures from the nature section.  The website has a wide variety of stock music to use as well.  Since nature can have a calming effect, I chose a classical piece to accompany it.   The directions to gather the pictures and music are very simple so it was easy to compile and save it.  Embedding the video is a little tricky though.  I had to click around a bit to find where to get that information.  I followed the directions, but I do not think I did it properly.  The video is located at the main section of my blog.  I will keep working on it to see if I can embed it into this particular blog.

            Anyway, click on it, and enjoy my Stephen Spielberg-ish amazing video creation!

Thing 20 Let's go Tubing

            I cannot lie, whenever I hear the word YouTube, all I think about is pointless animal videos and senseless videos from bored teenagers.  I never go on YouTube and delete any links that my friends send me to watch something on it.  They always say something along the lines of, “You have to watch this clip!  Can you believe someone was stupid enough to do this?”  That right there just puts me off even more.  It does not help either when my husband shoves the computer in my face and makes me watch endless, ‘unbelievable’ football passes/catches from past NFL games. 

            With much reluctance, I started exploring YouTube.  Indeed, I did find countless meaningless videos, but then I also started to see some videos that had some significance.  The more I explored, the better I felt about the website.  There are actually quite a few impressive videos.  Could it be that I was wrong about YouTube?  Well, yes and no.  I spent about two hours combing through the website and found it to be an extremely useful resource for education.  I can see using videos from YouTube to enhance traditional lessons and revive boing lectures.  If integrated properly, it can help redefine the way educators teach and students learn.  Incorporating media can help students connect with the topics in ways that are more meaningful.  Children today already use this technology and constantly have access to it, so it would behoove educators to merge it with traditional teaching.  Teachers can use YouTube during instruction to highlight certain features of a lesson, they can assign videos for supplemental review of material, or they can even have their students create their own videos as a project. 

            As a side note, I also found two other sites that are similar to YouTube, but are specific to education.  The first is called TeacherTube.  It is a video file-sharing website where educators can post and share lesson plans, exchange teaching tips, give helpful suggestions, and present instructional videos over popular topics in education.  The second website I found is called SchoolTube.  This is also a video file-sharing website, but is catered more to students.  Here students can post their media projects and educational school events.  The nice thing is that before the material can be posted, it has to be approved by a teacher who is registered on the website.  This ensures that the content is appropriate and meaningful.  I will put the links at the bottom of this post.

Since I am concentrating on elementary school, I searched the site for videos on volcanoes.  I was pleasantly surprised when a number of videos popped up.  I clicked on a few, but found that many were not applicable to education.  The videos were either silly, poorly made, or not relevant.  Before I was about to abandon my search in lieu of something else, I changed my parameters to ‘volcanoes +education’.  The results from this search were so much better.  I found an amazing video by Bill Nye the Science Guy.  (For those of you who are not familiar with Bill Nye, he is a scientist who presents science topics in fun, yet educational ways that are interesting to children.  My two kids think he is great.  His show is produced by Disney and it is one of the few shows that my kids are allowed to watch and really look forward to it.  They are learning about science, but do not realize it.  Anyway, this particular video about volcanoes would be perfect to show in the classroom.)  It presents the science behind volcanoes in a very kid-friendly way, and is directed specifically at the elementary school level.  Bill Nye uses humor, great graphics, sound effects, music, and supplemental video clips to enhance his lesson.  He takes kids all around the world to see different volcanoes.  Through the use of props and experiments that kids can easily reproduce at home, he shows how volcanoes are formed, how they develop, and how they explode.  The best part is you can actually eat the experiment at the end because it is made out of food!  Billy Nye certainly makes learning and education fun and exciting.  If I were a student watching productions like this one, I would be very interested in science.

After spending time on YouTube, I can definitely see the benefits of using it in education.  Yes, there will always be inane videos from bored teenagers, but there are also numerous videos that have real depth and significance.  It will just take some time and patience to uncover the ones that are applicable to education and can be incorporated in a meaningful way.

Teacher Tube website:  www.teachertube.com

School Tube website:  www.schooltube.com

Bill Nye’s volcano video:  www.youtube.com/watch?v=2M5JQDdardM

Thing 19 Casting out the social nets

I have never joined any social networking groups or online communities.  I am part of a mom’s group, a hula troupe, and a German organization, but nothing in the virtual world.  I signed up for the APSU TeacherPop website and spent time time looking around.  There are some areas in TeacherPop that I think I would use in the future.  It seems like a good place to find resources, suggestions, and feedback for education.  There is always a comfort in knowing that other people are having similar experiences.  It helps to have a place to find advice, get help, … and sometimes even vent frustrations.  After poking around TeacherPop, I clicked on a few of the other social networking sites that were listed as suggestions. 

The networking sites that I especially liked were Bake Space and Good Reads.  Since I love baking and cooking, I thought Bake Space would be a good place to start.  I did not think much of it at first, but as I began to click on different links, the site became much more interesting.  This site allows members to swap recipes, share ideas and tips, and even sell recipes.  I particularly likes the the section where you can make and publish your own cookbook.  Granted you will have to pay for it yourself, but hey, you will have an official looking cookbook!  Pretty cool!  There is also an interesting tab for a mentor program.  Here, you can connect with other members who have a culinary skill that you are interested in learning.  Through the website, those people will mentor you and help you learn that particular skill.  As if that is not enough, there is also a tab called My Kitchen, where you can save all the recipes, articles and cookbook reviews that you like.

The second networking site I reviewed was Good Reads.  I really liked this one because I love to read theme based novels.  According to its ‘About Us’ tab, it is the largest website for readers and book recommendations.  As I was exploring, I kept thinking, “Wow, this is really great.  I will totally use this.”  I kept reading and searching, and the next thing I knew, one hour had passed.  Yikes, I was so sidetracked by all the great things the website had to offer that I totally did not hear my laundry buzzer go off.  Now I will have to iron!  Ugh!  Anyway, there are a number of fantastic features on this website.  First, you can set up your own virtual bookshelf.  There are two areas within the bookshelf – one where you can ‘place’ the books that you have already read, and the other where you can list the books you want to read.  Once you finish reading a book, you move it over to the already read section.  This way, you will not have to remember if you already read a book, or if you overlooked a book within the series.  There is also another tab for book recommendations.  Here you can read reviews about books you might be interested in reading.  This will certainly save you a few dollars by not choosing a book that will be disappointing.  You can also leave your own review for the books you have read.  If you want, there is an opt-in option that will assess the books you have on your bookshelf, and then recommend other books in which you might be interested.  That is great, because I am always on the hunt for different authors within my chosen genres.  

If you are an avid reader, I highly recommend this website.  I am not one for keeping up on different websites, but I will definite use Good Reads.  It is a perfect match for me.  Now I can get rid of all my scraps of paper on which I write my newly found authors.  I usually lose these anyway and end up having to start all over again.

 

Bakespace website:  www.bakespace.com

            Goodreads website:  www.goodreads.com

Thing 17 So this isn’t Rachael Ray

Okay, well I think someone should have warned me about Thing 17.  As I read the word “Delicious”, I was so psyched because I thought I was going to use my newly acquired technology skills to conduct some research on Chef Rachael Ray.  After all, her famous catchphrase, ‘Delish’, is derived from the word Delicious.  I have all of her books and constantly use her recipes.  That story sure changed when I started exploring Delicious and social bookmarking.  There was nothing about Rachael Ray or cooking. 

            After I got over the initial shock, I did become interested in learning more about social bookmarking.  The most bookmarking that I have ever done was was use a piece of scrap paper to mark my place in Culinary Mystery novels.  Once I read through the discovery exercises, I realized that social bookmarking was similar to my ‘primitive’ scrap sheet of paper.  The potential for social bookmarking in the classroom can be advantageous.  I can see teachers using this application on their classroom websites.  Teachers can do some of the legwork for projects and bookmark some trusted, useful websites that will help students with their projects.  This will enable students to start working, without wasting their time searching around the internet for websites that might not even be applicable.  It can be especially beneficial for elementary school students.  Because their understanding of research is limited, they can use the social bookmarking sites to help them find appropriate websites.  Social bookmarking can also help teachers.  With social bookmarking, teachers can easily call up important websites that will help them in class.  Sometimes it is difficult remembering all of the great website addresses, and social bookmarking is a way to organize and combine favorite sites in one convenient place.  Teachers do not even have to use their own computer.  Because their information is stored on the web, they can assess their personal site from anywhere - not just on one computer.  By tagging certain sites, it is easy to call up specific groups of websites that are pertinent for particular topics.

            Below are two websites that I found that sound very useful to education.  The first link is called Thinkfinity.  It is a website dedicated to helping educators enhance their curriculum.  It provides lesson planes that are aligned to state and common cores standards, professional development, technology tools, and activities.  The second link is called Schooltube.  It is similar to Youtube, but for education.  Here, students and teachers can post videos to show off what they have produced in school.  There are educational videos that cover subject lessons, there are student created projects, news stations, webisodes, and other fun things.  So check them out when you have a chance.

 

www.thinkfinity.com

www.schooltube.com

Thing 18 Sylvester and Tweety

Well, I never thought I would ever do this, but according to Thing 18, I had to … I signed up for Twitter.  The choices were either Facebook or Twitter.  I am not comfortable with exposing much my life (to the public, or even my family for that matter) on the internet, so Facebook was completely out of the question.  I know there is an option for private settings and other features like that, but the idea of other people reading and looking at my pictures, friends, or family is just too unsettling and very uncomfortable.  I have heard so many negative stories about the downfalls of using Facebook that I would prefer to avoid that whole genera.  So this left Twitter as my only other option.  Although I am still hesitant about this application, I thought it would be the lesser of the two technology-phobias.  I dutifully signed up, and chose the name ‘@Techintraining2’ as my handle.  (Do people still use the word ‘handle’ or has that gone out with the transistor radio? – of which we did have one when we were growing up; our handle was the Tennessee Turtles.)  I searched for some interesting people and sites to follow, but had a difficult time trying to find something that caught my attention.  I was able to locate a number of education and teacher sites that I thought would help me in the future.  I also added a few cooking and baking sites that seemed interesting.  I even ventured into the entertainment industry and added Rachael Ray.  Yes I realize that she is not as glamorous as the people that teenagers follow (like the girl with the meat outfit – I still do not know who that is), but she makes some excellent 30 minute meals.  Honestly, who wouldn’t want to be able to make a tasty meal in under 30 minutes; I know those of us moms are in that category. 

I think the most important reason for educators to know about and use social networking sites, is that it will help them become better teachers.  Social media has become such a large part of children’s lives, it would make sense to incorporate it into education.  Teachers can set up a classroom Facebook page so parents, students and teachers to stay connected to the rest of the class.  Parents can check up on their children, see what is happening in the class, and post comments and praises.  Students can log in and update any project information, can import pictures of their completed work, and can encourage their classmates.  Teachers can use the site for keeping everyone updated, can post links to newsletters, and can encourage/praise as well. 

I really do not see teachers using Twitter that much though, since it seems very geared toward social media.  I have not heard of many people using it for education, business, or networking.  I have only heard about kids and people in entertainment using Twitter.  It seems like people only post two types of tweets – ones that are silly and pointless, or ones that are generic and obscure.  Personally, I do not really care if so-and-so is getting a latte’ at the Mapco gas station, or if one person ‘tweet-bashes’ someone else.  It just does not seem to make a real impact on much of anything.  Nevertheless, I am generalizing most of all this.  I am sure though that there is some real value in using Twitter, I just have not been exposed to it yet.

Thing 16 Organizing the Pantry

            I really enjoyed creating my own start page for my computer.  It was nice to put my personal touch it.  Rather than opening the internet to see a bland Google screen (well, when it is a holiday or an important event, then Google does do a good job of spicing up their screen – I am getting pretty good at this Snipping Tool). 

Although I am sure there are numerous different themes, I chose the Spring Frog theme for my start page.  It just seems so fun and warm.  It even changes from day to night at the appropriate time!  Many of standard widgets were fine, but I did customize it with a few other widgets that I thought I would use more often.  I added the following widgets  – cooking, baking, measurement conversion, translation, and to-do list.  I did delete the YouTube and CNN since I never use those sites.  Overall, the start page looks snappy and right up my alley.  I am unsure, though, if I will use it as my homepage.  When I use my computer, it is usually for school purposes only.  I am there to focus and work on my assignments.  If I have this as my homepage, I am worried that I will be distracted by all the other widgets.  If I get off-task, then it is very difficult for me to get back on track again.  It is tough enough to complete my assignments with two kids (and husband) running around, goofing off, and asking a million questions; I do not think another distraction will be a good idea. 

            I kept the calendar on the start page, but since I do not use the internet very much, it does not serve its purpose.  Since I do not have a phone with internet capability or an iPad, I would have to rely on my husband to access the calendar or be physically at a computer to enter the information.  Right now, my trusty color-coded master calendar that hangs on the fridge works just fine.  The same holds true for the online to-do list.  Although I did try it out (see my screen clip below), it does not seem very useful for where I am at this time.  Again, I would have to depend on my husband to do it all.  Other than at home, I would not have access to it.  Since my husband does not run any of the errands, I would have to print the list out at home so I could take it with me.  It defeats the purpose of having an online to-do list.  Besides, there is just something about physically crossing out something that I completed; that makes me feel good. 

            If I were to recommend any of the tools that I found, I would have to suggest the cooking and baking widgets.  Every time I looked at those two applications, I was pleasantly surprised over the daily recipes there were offered.  I can see a number of my other ‘mom’ friends using it.  We are constantly searching for recipes that we know our kids would enjoy eating.  So far, all the ones that I have seen have been great.

 

Credit for Google logos:

http://www.google.com/doodles/finder/2012/United%20States

Thing 15 Rikki Tikki ... Wiki

… so I guess when people say “Wiki”, they are not referring to the sound a person makes when pretending to scratch and imaginary record on a turntable.  Seriously though, I have heard of a wiki, but I never really understood much about it.  It was not until I read the discovery exercises that I began to comprehend the meaning of, and the idea behind a wiki.  I explored the APSU 23 Things Sandbox wiki, but really did not understand how to use it.  I could not find anywhere to click that would pull up a page to help me figure out what to do.  From what I could gather, I had to create my own material and then post it.  Thankfully, I was able to do that.  After I logged out, I logged back in to make sure it posted.  Unfortunately, it did not pop up as the most recent entry.  Ugggghhhh!  I tried it again under a different section within the Sandbox, saved it and logged out.  However, when I logged back in, my version was still not there.   By this time, I was getting frustrated; I thought I was doing so well too.  After searching around for 10 minutes, I finally found it under the “Pages” section.  It is entitled, “Technology in General”.  I commented on my journey through technology and even used the Snipping Tool (yes, you heard right, I was able to figure out the Snipping Tool) to insert my Hawaiian girl avatar.  I altered text and pasted a past blog comment.  It aggravates me that I do not know how to get it to show up on the ‘recently added’ section.   Those of you tripping over your feet to look at it, just go under the pages section and type in ‘Technology in General’ and it will pop up.  I inserted my Sandbox creation at the bottom of this post.

            Even though I could not maneuver through it as successfully as others can, I can see how using a wiki in the classroom is beneficial.  Personally, I would use it as a home base for my class.  I would set it up to feel like a homeroom, but in a virtual environment.  Kids today are so accustomed to life on the internet, so having a homeroom in the virtual world just seems to make sense.  The key features would include sections for assignments, lesson reviews, extension links on topics we are learning in class, hubs for larger collaborative projects that are due in the future, links for websites that I think students could benefit from, and newsletters for parents to keep them updated on what is going on in the classroom.  Parents and students can view the progression of the class, post comments and suggestions, and see what interests the class as a whole.  In fact, I observed a teacher who uses a wikipage for her classroom and she loves it.  She swears that it makes her life, and the lives of her students and parents, so much easier because they have what they need right at their fingertips with easy access.  The teacher has noticed a decrease in parents calling and emailing with questions about their children, as well as, an increase in assignment completions and improvement in the quality of the projects from her students.  She attributes this to the wikipage that she has set up.  Parents and students are logging on to this at home and are really using the site.  After hearing this from my observation teacher, and exploring the discovery resources, I am very excited to put ‘Thing 15’ in my toolbox for my future classroom. 

I have always been a bit hesitant about incorporating technology into my daily life. Twitter, Facebook, iPhones, those strange square things that you are supposed to take a picture of on your phone and then it tells you information about it - this has never really interested me. Taking this class, though, has really made me aware that our society will never step backward (unless the themes from the doomsday tv shows become a reality). I need to jump on board sooner rather than later. My kids know more about technology than I do. That can't be a good sign since they are only 7 and 9, and I am verging upon my 40s. I am sure when I start teaching, technology will be something completely different, and I will have to relearn it all again. Thankfully though, this class will prepare me for it all

Below is the blog I wrote about the using Web 2.0. I thought it would be fitting to add here.



Trish W (5540)

…Okay so maybe I have more to learn about technology than I had originally thought (and I already thought that was lot!). Sine I completely missed Web 1.0, I really need to become familiar with Web 2.0. After reading through all of the linked resources to familiarize myself with the subject, Web 2.0/School 2.0 sounds very amazing and beneficial to teachers, students, and education in general … but I also have some concerns about it it as well.

School 2.0 is a fantastic way to present teaching. If done properly, it can revolutionize education. It is changing the face of teaching and learning. This new idea of education is breaking the traditional boundaries that most of us have grown up with. As I look back on my schooling, I remember lots of heavy textbooks, endless hours of notetaking, straight rows of desks, lecture-style teaching, card catalogs, and confining classrooms. All this is now changing. Web 2.0 is bringing education to life: it is giving teaching and learning new legs, and those legs are taking us to places we never thought possible. With such ground-breaking technology, students can scrutinized the painting of the Mona Lisa, take a virtual field trip to the Louvre in Paris where it is now on display, research Florence Italy where Leonardo da Vinci first started painting it, and Skype with a professional artist in Frances who can provide them with substantial background information about it … all in 1 hours’time! That, to me, is simply amazing. This type of education is pushing the envelope and creating some exciting new dynamics. Students can video conference with other classrooms around the globe, participate in discussions and projects with groups who are not even in the same room, and integrate emerging ideas at the touch of a button. Technology has certainly enriched education and is changing the description of what education should entail.

I am also a bit hesitant about it too though. All of this technology seems to be coming at us at such a fast rate of speed. I am worried that it will eventually cause an overload and become so overwhelming that real education might be lost. Technology is certainly glitzy and captivating, but it is also addicting to the point where some cannot function well without it. Technology is becoming so embedded in education, and we are relying on it more and more now. Can we be just as creative without having to use it? Are we depending on it too much to teach or learn? Are we forgoing personal interaction in favor of artificiality? These are some of the questions that I am starting to think about now that I know more about School 2.0/Web 2.0. But perhaps it is my inexperience at this point, as to why I have all these questions. Whatever the case though, it will be interesting to see how this will change education in the long run.

Thing 14 - Letting it Flow

            The idea of using flowcharts and mind maps for educational uses makes sense.  Education is certainly not static, so the material that students and teachers use should not be either.  Although the information on the printed page is stationary, it does show the movement of ideas and concepts, as well as the connections it takes to get from one area to another. 

            I started out exploring Gliffy, one of the flowchart applications.  At first glance, it is very impressive.  I clicked and poked around, and as I did, I began to get more confused.  There seemed to be too many options for a person of my technological experience.  There were advanced features that I am sure are extremely helpful and necessary, but this is something that I really do not need.  Just like my cell phone, it is more useful to me, if it is simple and straightforward … which is exactly what I found in Mindmeister.  This program really seemed to fit my needs.  It was easy to manipulate and easy to follow.  The page was clean and inviting, and I did not have to hunt around for the things I wanted to apply to my mind map.

            I chose to build my mind map around an assignment that I am working on for my SPED class.  We have to select a learning disability, research it and write a paper over it.  I selected Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder because I have a connection to the disorder.  I began my diagram with the main topic in the middle.  From there, I worked my way out by creating additional bubbles with line-connections back to the main topic.  These supplementary bubbles contained various sub-facets that are linked to AD/HD.  I could have applied even more offshoots of those bubbles that are significant to just that particular bubble as well.  In a way, the mind map reminded me of a standard outline.  However, instead of roman numerals, letters, and numbers going straight down the paper in a boring manner, there are bubbles and lines that make the information more visual and relatable.  This version is so much more inviting than the prior is.  I especially liked the extra features that you can use to enhance the mind map.  I used the image option to include a picture/icon that compliments the information in the bubble.  I could choose from the pictures that are in the program, or I could select the ‘search online’ option for photos on the web.  It searched the web automatically for me to find pictures that fit that particular phrase.  How cool is that?!  Except for looking though the pictures, I did not have to do any of the legwork to actually look for them.  There are more features like inserting links, notes, and due dates that are also very helpful.  I will certainly bookmark (now that I know how to do that) the Mindmeister website for future use.

… Actually, I will use it sooner than later because I need to create a new chore chart for the kids.  The old boring one on the fridge just is not cutting it anymore.  Maybe if I create a dazzling one from Mindmeister, the kids might finally complete their chores on time …

Thing 13 Web-slinging Applications

        So being the traditionalist that I am, I was not too thrilled when I read Thing 13… explore Google Documents and Zoho Writer.  I am used to my trusty Pages/Keynote/Numbers on the Mac, and Word/Excel/PP on the PC.  Now here I had to learn another new program??  Rather than throw up my hands, I decided to take it head on.  I was pleasantly surprised how easy they both were to use.  They were actually pretty similar to Word – thank goodness.  Both programs were also fairly comparable to each other.  I had the ability to create, edit, save, and share documents.  The page layouts were even similar.  I was starting to like this.  As I explored the applications more, it did not take long for the familiar feeling of using the Word program to creep back into my live.  One thing that really impressed me with both of the programs was the ability to share the document/spreadsheet/presentation with others.  Everyone could collaborate with feedback and ideas.  I also liked the ability to publish it directly to the Web.  If I had to choose one though, I would have to pick Google Docs.  Since the programs were so similar, it really came down to what I was comfortable with.  I have used Google for years and getting into Google Docs is easy since it is connected to all the other Google applications.  It eliminated the need to remember yet another username and password. One email, one password, and one place – easy enough. 

I can easily see using the Google Docs application in the classroom, especially with the older elementary school kids in fourth and fifth grade. They can each log on and look at the same document to update, edit and collaborate.  Changes will be immediate and all the students can see it at the same time.  It is especially handy because all of the information is located in one place and not spread over different computers, folders, and places.  Nothing can be lost or misplaced, and students can recall the information quickly.  This application will be especially relevant if a student in a group is not at school, but still needs to participate in the project.  S/he does not have to have the document on her/his own computer at home.  S/he can log on to Google Docs and can ‘work’ right alongside the group without being physically there.  It allows for optimal participation for every member of the group. 

I made the picture above within a 5-minute timespan.  From clicking on Google, logging into Google Docs, finding the picture on Creative Commons, creating the caption, to saving and logging off, it took me about 4 minutes and something-ish seconds.  Not too shabby for doing something all on the web (for me at least).

Thing # 4 Here a Comment, There a Comment

           Although I have never followed or commented on any blogs before this class, I can see value of leaving comments.  Commenting does create a sense of community and interaction because it allows people from all over the world to find others who share the same interests, hobbies, or concerns.  When people are linked to a community, they can feel like they are a part of something larger.  They feel like they belong and can identify with others who are like them.  Community interaction can lead to support, influence, and an appreciation for others. 

            I read through the attached resources on commenting and was struck by two particular points.  The first was from ‘The Coolcat Teacher Blog’.  Section 7 covered the topic of how to criticize in a kindly fashion.  I thought this was a very poignant point.  It seems like many people have lost touch with how to be tactful when responding to something they disagree with.  Everyone deserves to have an opinion and deserves to be heard.  There is, however, a proper way to respond when disagreements arise.  You can be polite and respectful when leaving a comment without condemning or belittling the person posting the message.  The second point that popped out was from ‘ProBlogger’.  The article mentions the significance of interacting with the comments that other people leave.  I never really thought about why leaving a response to a comment would be important.  As I read the point though, it does sound sensible.  Almost everyone wants to feel valued and feel that his/her opinions are heard.  Responding to a post provides the person with that feeling.  Relationships can grow from there, which in turn, creates the community that so many people are seeking.

            Since I have never posted a response to a blog post, I will do my best.  It is a bit intimidating, kind of like learning how to ride a bike or diving for the very first time. Just like anything in life, it will take practice to get better.  Below are the blogs that I chose to follow and why.

Scott – his technology skills seem on par with mine and his ‘can-do’ attitude in inspiring

Bing – she has an upbeat spirit and I feel her views are similar to mine

Emily – she seems very motivated to learn more

Christine – her tech skills are great and I am curious to see what neat things she will produce

Vanessa – she has some great insights and views about education and technology

Teachingwithtlc.com http://www.teachingwithtlc.com/ - it is filled with creative tips for teachers and parents

Busydadblog.com http://www.busydadblog.com/  - he has a funny take on parenting and offers up quirky advice

Thing # 12 Rummaging around Google

            Google Translate (http://translate.google.com/) is an amazing application!  I can see it being a useful tool when traveling around different countries.  It is certain easier than lugging around a translation dictionary. 

            I started out by testing the function with simple German sentences to see if it was accurate. 

“I must drive to the store to buy milk.” --- translated into, “Ich muss in den Laden fahren, um Milch zu kaufen.” (Perfect translation)

“My brother hit me with a soccer ball yesterday and it left a mark.” --- translated into, “Mein Bruder schlug mich mit einem Fuβball gestern und es links eine Markierung.” (Good translation, but a few mistakes)

I tried a few more lengthy and complicated sentences and the translations were fairly decent, but corrections needed to be made in order for it to be grammatically correct.  Many of the translation mistakes were due to literal interpretations of the words.  For example, using the sentence from above – left translated into links.  While this is technically correct, the German word that should be used here is different.  Even though there were minor errors, I can still see this being a great application to use.

I am happy though that it was not around when I was teaching German so many years ago.  I can easily see students using this function to cheat in order to help translate their work.  It could be very tempting to just copy and paste the homework assignment into the translation section and have it do the heavy lifting.  The student would just have to clean it up.  Modern language teachers will surely have to keep this in the back of their minds when correcting assignments.

The second Google application I tried was Google Alerts (http://www.google.com/alerts?hl=en) .  My husband has this and it drives me crazy!  He has it set to his favorite sports teams and a few work related sites.  That “Ping” sounds is constantly going off.  And of course, no matter what is going on, he will check it.  It is not just him though.  I constantly see people checking their phones when it ‘pings’.  Google must have been channeling Ivan Pavlov when they invented this application.  This is a sore subject with me, so I will not digress anymore.  In all seriousness though, the application is a great tool to use because you can set up your own parameters.  You can narrow the updates down from ‘as it happens’ to ‘once as day’; you can have it filter from multiple sources or just a few specific ones; and it can send general or best results.  This would be especially good for teachers because they could treat it like RSS feeds and have class projects and assignments that center around current information that is happening around them.

Thing # 11 Feeding Time

            When I first read over this exercise, I thought that it would be simple, quick, and easy.  Boy, was I wrong.  I did not realize how difficult it would be to find feeds that interested me.  Wait, I can’t say that completely.  It was easy to find common and widely recognized professional feeds like, CNN, National Geographic, and National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE).  It was much more difficult to find smaller niche feeds that I could find useful.  The two search tools, Topix and Technorati, were a little too confusing for me.  There was so much to read on each of the homepages, I didn’t know where to start.  Feeling frustrated, I switched to Google Blog Search.  I fared much better here.  The page was simple and easy to read, which was perfectly fine for my level.  I was able to locate the more popular feeds pretty quickly (the ones above), and even found some smaller ones that are related to meeting teachers direct needs (lesson plans, classroom management, etc.) 

After locating some that would help me as a teacher, I tried to find some that I could use personally.  This was also more difficult because there are just so many blogs out there in the blogosphere.  For example, when I typed in the word ‘parenting’, a zillion options popped up.  Not only that, but then the majority of the names sounded strange or questionable.  Then my mind jumped to suspicious thoughts … “What if I click on it and I get some sort of malware (which I did when I tried the Mashup activity)?  What if I click on it and questionable material comes up on the screen and now I will be flagged by the Powers-That-Be who control the Internet and they report me to the authorities?”  Oh, the thoughts were endless.  It took a while to read through many of the topic blurbs, but I was finally able to find a few that were legitimate.  I recognized the names from some magazines, so I knew I would be save.  Is there a way to find out which ones are real and which ones are either hoaxes/virus senders?  I still have some much to learn. 

Thing # 10 Searching for the USS (oops) RSS Enterprise

            Before starting this class, I had little knowledge about RSS or news feeds.  I have heard of ‘the wire’ though (when newscasters frantically say, “This just came in over the wire” and it ends up being something traumatic), but I never really connected the two.  Well, now I know what they mean.  RSS and news feeds seem to be a great way to stay informed about what is going on in the world, and is applicable for your personal and professional life.  It is a simply way to get information without having to log on to all the websites you like to visit every day.  It saves time since you do not need to sludge through information you already know just to get to the new stuff.  It is uncomplicated and hassle-free. 

            In my personal life, I can see using RSS feeds for a variety of things.  Since I love to bake, I am always on the warpath for a new/different recipe to try.  Rather than having to thumb through my cookbooks, or search online on my favorite cooking website, I can just get a daily recipe ‘fed’ to me from the site.  I signed up for the Betty Crocker RSS feed and I am looking forward to seeing what they will send me.  Hopefully I can concoct some amazing baked goods!  Good for my kids, but bad for my waistline.

            RSS and news feeds sound like excellent media applications for teachers and schools.  The most obvious would be that teachers could stay current on the changes that are happening in their specific field of education.  They can get up-to-date information that can impact their profession.  On a more useable level, RSS feeds would be very useful for receiving inventive lesson plans, practical project ideas, and creative twists to teaching techniques.  Students can turn to RSS feeds for current information on particular projects they are working on.  It is a perfect way to increase their resources when they are doing research. 

I can also see teachers assigning students RSS feeds to watch every day and report to the class on what they read.  This keeps the students informed in what is going on around them outside of their own world.  Although the world is getting ‘smaller’ and more accessible, many kids are still unaware of most things that happen which do not affect them directly.  Reading about news from other countries, and being informed about what is affecting other people, can really help kids be more aware of affairs and situations in other areas.

… (While writing this, my husband mentioned that feeds would be perfect for daily mini-debate activities if there is extra time in class.  Students could read feeds from sources that have opposing views, and have mini-discussions about them.  It would be a spark to get students thinking.  Good idea husband!)

Ting # 9 Endless Images

       

 

        I looked through all of the generator options suggested and was really drawn to the ‘Image Chef’ Website.  It seemed to be the most useful to me as an elementary school teacher, as well as a mom.  I spent about 45 minutes just browsing around looking at all the different options that I could possibly use.  There are so many choices, it was very difficult for me to just pick a few to display on the blog.  I thoroughly enjoyed creating different images.  I narrowed it down to three that I could post up on the blog – one personal image and two education images.

        License Plate: Since I would love to live in Hawaii, I obviously had to manipulate the Hawaii State license plate.  I always crave warm weather and sun, and Hawaii is the ultimate setting for me.

        Post-it Note: I thought this image would be fitting to place into my students’ folders to remind them about specific upcoming tests.  It is a nice change from just a drab reminder.
        Elephant Teacher: I made this image as a possible poster to hang on the wall in the classroom.  It is a quirky way to get kids interested in learning.

            These types of generator websites are a great way to convey a message without being overbearing or nagging.  They are a simple way to get a point across in a fun and uplifting way.  It is one of those things that just make you smile when you see it.  I can see using these in the classroom.  Since these images are personalized, they can draw the students’ attention quickly.  They are brief, to the point, and easy to read.  This is perfect because you do not want the importance of the message to get ‘lost’ in a bunch of boring stuff.  Kids (mine at least) tend not to remember important things, so capturing their attention with a quick visual is great.  Images like these can also spruce up parent newsletters and highlight the more important information in the letter.  There is an infinite amount of school notes and letters come home, and it is very easy to just skim through what is written on them.  Generated images can make a parent stop skimming and concentrate on what pops out from the page.  I am certainly looking forward to using these applications.

            So check out this fantastic website at www.imagechef.com.  It will be well worth it.