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).