One Final Thing...

It is kind of sad knowing that I am done. I feel like there are still so many things that I haven't learned. Also, I know that things are changing all the time. I feel that all the new things that I learned will be ancient within 6 months. I hope that is not true. But, I would love a "refresher" course as more tools are introduced.
After all is said and done, my favorite thing is the image generator. I still go back and try to add fun pictures to my blog. I also enjoy going back to Flickr. I love looking at other people's photographs. As I go forward, my goal is to keep my knowledge of Web 2.0 tools. I also want to find more ways to incorporate these tools in my classroom. I think it will make my teaching that much more exciting.
Before I say good-bye (for now), I would like to thank my librarian Elizabeth Warrick for encouraging me to take this class. I would also like to thank Andrea McFadden. She was a great resource when I had questions as I worked through the 23 things.

Adios for now.

Thing #23

Classroom 2.0 is a wonderful resource. I loved having the ability to communicate with so many teachers in one place. Also, there were so many great ideas in one place. I think that a teacher's best resource is another teacher. Classroom 2.0 provided ideas from teachers that teacher all grade levels and all over the world. I spent quite a bit of time scrolling through the forums and looking at different teacher's question. I also found some great suggestions of things of Web. 2.0 things that other teacher are doing that I would like to try in my class.

Thing #22

Hello, my name is sweetpea and I am addicted to FaceBook. They say the first step to getting help is admitting you have a problem. I am already a member of FaceBook and I am on it ALL the time. Most of my friends are teachers that I work with. FaceBook is actually a great networking tool. Numerous times I have "facebooked" a friends to find out information about things that are going on at school. It is a wonderful way to keep in touch while not in school. Facebook is also a great way to release stress after the school day. There are great games to play and other applications that I enjoy. I will continue to use FaceBook to stay in touch with my friends.

Thing #7b

The dictionary word of the year is "unfriend." I loved this article. I love that the New Oxford American Dictionary is always thinking of ways to make itself modern. I kind of relate to my previous post with the word "google." I think when dictionaries add these pop culture words to their publications it keeps the English language modern and up-to-date.

This year's addition is unfriend; as is "I am going to have to "unfriend" you on FaceBook." I LOVE IT!!!

Thing #21

I have to start off by saying my husband HATES the term "google."He hates when the word is used as a verb. I try to tell him that it is in the dictionary but he doesn't care. With all that be said, I did not realize that there so much to Google. I have used the Google search engine many a time and now because of this class I have used Google docs. This time I experimented with Google Calendar and iGoogle. I have to say that I probably wouldn't use Google Calendar. I am still a paper and pencil kind of gal when it comes to the calendar. I have a large calendar that sits on my desk at school that is what I use. I think I like because it is big and I can't miss it. I also experimented with iGoogle. I enjoyed having my own customized homepage right at my fingertips. As you know, I am a new news junkie. I liked that I was able to set the page so that I could have the information that I wanted right there in front of me.

Thing #20

Google Docs is another tool that I could spend an endless amount of time on. I enjoyed how there were templates that you could search and find a form that would benefit you the best. I love not having to reinvent the wheel. Also, I think Google docs is a great way for teachers to communicate with one another. I know many times when making plans we (my team) always discusses making our own assignments to go with whatever we are teaching in class. Google Docs is a great way to make a document share it with your team and get everyone's input before deciding on the final presentations. Yet, another tool to make teaching easier.

Thing #19

I have actually used VoiceThreads before and I didn't even realize it. I was in a class for my Master's and took the class on-line. Several times during the semester the professor had us listen to lectures that accompanied PowerPoint presentations. I think VoiceThreads can be used in the classroom for the same purpose. Again, I think any thing that can grab, hold, and maintain the student's attention is great. I think it adds a great variety for the classroom.








I also found this great VoiceThread that can be used in class to show students how to make writing more exciting.

Thing #18

I found some great videos and audio clips while searching on TeacherTube and YouTube. Prior to this activity I was familiar with YouTube and have been able to find some great things--mostly for entertainment. I have only used YouTube in my classroom once. I know that I have to override to view at school. I have not tried TeacherTube but I think that it is a great way to expose students to different types of media and keep things exciting in the classroom.





See more Audio at TeacherTube.com.

Thing #17

I have heard of podcasts before but I had never thought of how to use podcasts in the classroom. I explored the podcasts on Just One More Book!! There were some great clips on the websites. There was a podcast that had an excellent interview with Mo Williems. I think the students would really enjoy the interview because the really enjoy the "pigeon" books. I also, like this website because there are some great books that are read here. My only complaint I have after listening to several podcasts is the advertising. There is some type of advertisement prior to listening to the podcats.

Thing #16

Library Thing can be very useful in the classroom as well in my personal life. I can think of many times when I have looked for the perfect book to add to a lesson. I had to ask numerous teachers, the librarian, the internet, etc. That process can be daunting. Now, using Library Thing puts book ideas at your fingertip. Also, I think Library Thing is a great way to expand your classroom library. It can point you in the direction of books that are on the same topic.

Thing #15

DELICIOUS!!! I was unfamiliar with delicious until today. However, I was able to find some great websites by finding different websites. I loved having to ability to bookmark numerous websites in one place. I loved that the websites could be grouped by similarities and tagged for convenience for later on. No more post-it notes scattered around the classrooms with websites on it!!!

Thing #7a

The article that I found in my Google reader discusses how many animated films are being submitted for Oscar consideration. The article says that 20 animated films are being submitted this year. I think it is interesting that the field on animation is growing. It again shows how much technology is changing our world.

Thing #14

For this thing, I tried out Wordie. I was not sure about the purpose of this 2.0 tool. I had fun playing with it and making different "wordies." I ust never found a way to embed it in my blog or export it. The only thing I coud fiure out was how to print.

I also played around with Quizlet. I found some great tools to use for multiplication flashcards. I thought this would be a great review for my students as we do more and more practice with multiplication.

Thing #13

Image Generators are FUN!!!! Again, this is something that I was unfamiliar with. I could have played all day. This is a "toy" that could be used in the classroom. I think it would be a great attention getter. I think it would be something that the kids aren't used to seeing and would spark their attention. A new toy to use in the classroom! YEA!!!!!

Thing #12

Credits

lion
bird
frog
fish
lizard
bear
fish
penguin



It love Flickr and RockYou. I hadn't used either one of them prior to doing the past few "things." I could spend all day looking through different pictures and playing around with them. The slide slow that I made was pictures of different types of animals. I would have my students classify the animals into differnt groups.

Thing #11

I could spend all day on Flckr. I had a wonderful time looking at different pictures. I actually had a hard time narrowing down pictures to look at. I chose this picture because it reminds me of a two week vacation my husband at I took to Paris.
I feel that Flickr allows people to look at the world through others' eyes. I think that Flickr can be used in the classroom to make presentations more interesting for students as well as showing them places around the world.

Thing #10

I was not familiar with Creative Commons before I started this Thing. I was very confused before I started playing around and looking up things that can be used in my classroom. Now, an hour later I have torn myself away from Creative Commons to reflect about everything I found.
The great thing about Creative Commons is that I found things that I could use in my classroom as soon as tomorrow. There were so many things, on so many different topics. I loved having it all one place.
I think Creative Commons can be a little overwhelming because there is so much information at the fingertip. I think that at some point you have to draw the line and stop searching.

Thing #9

I took me awhile to make my sandbox. It took me some playing around with to make my sandbox. I was never able to make my table of contents. I was able to make several different headings and include some basic information. I did not add any pictures yet though. I know we have several things that are coming up that include exploring image and video websites. I wanted to wait to add my image until became more familiar with those sites. I am interested in adding things to my wiki as I experiment with more Web 2.0 tools.

Thing #8

Before I started this thing, I had no idea what a wiki was. I had heard the word before but, I didn't know anything about wikis or their purpose. After doing a little clicking and reading, I have figured out what wikis are and I have also seen some great ways to use wiki's in the classroom. In some my favorite wikis that I saw, the teachers did an excellent job of finding ways to include students. There were even a few wikis were teachers were able to include young students, like Kindergartens and/or First Graders.

My mind is already churning and trying to come up with ways that I can incorporate wikis into my classroom. I think wikis are a great Web 2.0 tool that students can be introduced to and find that they can be successful. My only concern is that I am not sure I can obtain a wiki address that will not be blocked by my school district. Looks like I will need to do some investigation.

Thing #7

Commenting can be intimidating. You are putting yourself out there for all to read. No one wants to look like an idiot.You want to come up with something profound to say and sometimes I don't have anything to say. Had I not been "forced" to leave comments, I probably would never have done so.
However, by doing this activity, it also forced to read multiple posts of others' blog. I was interesting seeing what others had to say. I found many people had posts on similar things. Many teacher blogs are expressing a concern about the need for updating school's technology so that it meets the needs of our students.
Now, I want to keep reading and keep commenting.

Thing #6

I completed Thing #5 over a week ago before I started Thing #6. I did not look at my reader in that week. When I logged into my reader I had over 1,000 new feeds. WOW! That was a lot to look at. However, I was able to skim through the headlines and find out current information. Obviously, I knew that the CNN news posts were old and I was able to skip most of those.
Now, after spending some time searching for blog that I find interesting I want to be checking my reader to look for udpates on the blogs.

Thing #5

I AM A NEWS JUNKY!!!! I am constantly watching the news at 5, 6, and 10. I also read CNN Yahoo news, and MSN news daily. I added CNN to my reader and I love that I can get updates without having the visit all these sites. I spent several hours today adding these sites to my RSS. Spending the time doing this will save me some valuable time everyday.

One of the articles, I came across was an article about people having diffuculities finding jobs as they finish their degrees or training. I could relate to the article becuase my husband is one of those epople out there looking for work. It's just a hard pill to swallow knowing that there are so many qualified canidates out there and there are not enough jobs out there. It's just very overwhelming and it is a very slow process.

Below is a link to the article...


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33242201/ns/business-businessweekcom/

Thing #4

As I have been reading different educational blogs, I have found a whole new world of information out there. Some good things and some bad things about blogs. The blogs that I read today provided me with great ideas for my classroom like having my students read blogs for SSR. I would love to find some blogs that my students will be interesting and could read and provide comments on.

The great things about blogs is that they are easy to read. I think my blogs are written in simple enough language that even my third graders can read them. Also, because blogs are written in simple language it makes it easy for children to respond.

I am hoping to find some blogs that I can share with my third graders. If you have any suggestions, please leave a comment.

Thing #2

Prior to looking at Thing #2, I thought I was pretty internet savvy. Now, I realize I was a 1.0 user. I did not interact with the internet. I knew how to find information on the web but, that's about as far as it goes. I don't think I even realized how much was out there. I have heard people talk about different things like wikis and podcasts but I have no idea how to set one up or even how to use it in the classroom.

I am interested in learning new technologies and figuring out how to use them in the classroom. One obstacle that I think I may face is finding things that my students can do or have access to in the 45 minutes if our weekly computer lab time. Many of my students do not have access to computers at home but I want to expose the to what is out there.

I think that it is my job to expose my students to these 2.0 activities. I know they are not going to get the exposure from home. Also, in the future, I want my students to be competitive with children who have computers in their home.

I can't wait to experience more of the 2.0 activities and then use them in the classroom.

Thing #1

As I think about the 7 1/2 Habits of Lifelong Learners, I reflect back on my days when I graduated with my bachelor's and started my first year of teaching. I think I was living in the land of "Da-Nile." I thought I had learned everything I needed to learn in college and I was prepared for my first year of teaching. Now, I think back and I just pray that I didn't cause permanent damage to the students in my first class.

Since I graduated with my bachelors degree, I have earned my Master's degree and taken too many staff development classes to name. I know that I am a much better teacher now than I was then. I think I have used to 7 1/2 habits of lifelong learners without even realizing it.

However, if I look at each habit individually, I think the one that I have used and will continue to use "accept responsibility for your own learning." I think the only way you can improve yourself is to take the initiative to do it yourself. I realized quickly when I started teaching that I didn't know everything. I needed to learn more. With that thought, I have tried to continue to learn new things every year.

I think the habit that I have the most problems with is teaching and mentoring others. I am the person that always has alot on my plate. I am always busy. I just don't have the patience to mentor or teach others. It just frustrates me when I have to spend time teaching people and they don't "get it"the first time. Then I have to spend more time reteaching. It tests my patience.

During the course, I think I will use the habit "Begin with the end in mind." I know that the end of this course, I want to be successful in all the 2.0 activities. I want to be able to use the things in my class. That is my goal for the class and I guess we'll see how the class unravels.

Stat tuned to see how the 2.0 activities are used by me and can be used in my classroom.