Saturday, February 23, 2013
I made it!!!! Feedback time...
I have to say this has been quite the journey, and my laptop has survived many outburst from me. Nevertheless, I will admit that it did improve my computer skills and reduced my reluctance for technology. At first, it seemed overwhelming by having to do so many tasks with these 23 Things. I realize that if it had only been a few exercises, my exposure to what is available would have been limited. Having to do more gave me the opportunity to find my likes and dislikes and what works for me as an individual. By far, my favorite tool was Animoto. What a great find! You can do so many things with that website for the classroom or personal use. Kids would definitely have a fantastic time creating videos for fun or a project. I look forward to creating videos with my own children. There is one thing that this assignment has surely taught me----Technology is always changing and it can be useful in many ways.
Thing 22
Ok, this was a little more challenging than the last Thing. LiveBinders took me some time to figure out how to use. After a few tutorials and playing around with it, I finally figured it out... It can be a very resourceful tool to help keep it all together. The nice thing about these web binders is that I can now store a lot of the different types of technologies that I have picked up all in one place. I also have access to other public binders and can look for new sites and ideas to assist me as a teacher. I made 3 binders and titled them as follows: Fun, History, and Math. Math is the one I chose to share on my blog. I found a lot of information to store in this binder that will help me in the future in the classroom. For example, if I were teaching geometry specifically focusing on translation, rotation, and the flips of shapes. If the class was having trouble understanding my instrucion, I could then go to my math binder and quickly access a number of visuals that may help them to comprehend.
One last bit of advice, install the "LiveBinder It" into your toolbar. It sure makes it easier....
http://www.livebinders.com/play/play?id=805981
One last bit of advice, install the "LiveBinder It" into your toolbar. It sure makes it easier....
http://www.livebinders.com/play/play?id=805981
Thing 21 Video
My Video
Wow! This is the neatest "Thing" that I have yet to encounter so far with technology. Animoto has found itself a definite user, and I can say that I really enjoyed using this tool. It was very easy to navigate and the simple instructions were a delight. This is definitely some technology worth using within my future classroom. Kids like nothing better than to see their own faces on a video, and the different choices of music will surely get them into it. The capability to use the photo services like Flickr make this process of producing a video limitless. From time to time if you make pictures of student projects, field trips, or learning things within the classroom, you could use Animoto to show students where they had started, where they had been, and how they had progressed. Talk about some positive reinforcement! Almost like taking a walk down memory lane. I had seen this type of video done before at my own child's school, and found it very interesting. Now that I know how easy it can be, I plan to use it in the future.
Wow! This is the neatest "Thing" that I have yet to encounter so far with technology. Animoto has found itself a definite user, and I can say that I really enjoyed using this tool. It was very easy to navigate and the simple instructions were a delight. This is definitely some technology worth using within my future classroom. Kids like nothing better than to see their own faces on a video, and the different choices of music will surely get them into it. The capability to use the photo services like Flickr make this process of producing a video limitless. From time to time if you make pictures of student projects, field trips, or learning things within the classroom, you could use Animoto to show students where they had started, where they had been, and how they had progressed. Talk about some positive reinforcement! Almost like taking a walk down memory lane. I had seen this type of video done before at my own child's school, and found it very interesting. Now that I know how easy it can be, I plan to use it in the future.
Thing 20
I chose this video that has to do with teaching philosophies. It seemed to fit my own teaching beliefs pretty well. You Tube could be great for finding inspirational clips, educational clips, short lesson clips, or health and safety clips, for students within the classroom. The large amount of videos that come up as a result of one topic, can further lead you to draw on different perspectives of others. This technology can be great, but one must be very careful due to the fact that inappropriate material may appear.
Thing 19
I signed up for TeacherPop about a week ago, and I am still waiting for membership approval in order to complete the first part of "Thing 19." I decided to move on and complete the 2nd part of the assignment. I will edit and add to the assignment later.
I am a member of Good Reads and Diigo. I am really interested in Good Reads because as a future teacher, this social networking gives me insight on the content of books that would interest students in their reading. It would also be beneficial in helping me build a classroom library with several different genres. Through this social networking that includes book reviews and ratings, I would have the knowledge of knowing which books to choose for independent readings and suggested readings. Good Reads allows users to create their own groups and teachers are using this site to their advantage. As of now, I am not a member of Flixster or Filmcrave, but I can see where these social sites would be useful for teachers as they choose movies for their classrooms.
I am a member of Good Reads and Diigo. I am really interested in Good Reads because as a future teacher, this social networking gives me insight on the content of books that would interest students in their reading. It would also be beneficial in helping me build a classroom library with several different genres. Through this social networking that includes book reviews and ratings, I would have the knowledge of knowing which books to choose for independent readings and suggested readings. Good Reads allows users to create their own groups and teachers are using this site to their advantage. As of now, I am not a member of Flixster or Filmcrave, but I can see where these social sites would be useful for teachers as they choose movies for their classrooms.
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Thing 18
I recently joined Facebook because of this class. I sent friend requests and joined the APSU College of Education group.
Facebook and Twitter are great tools for social media. Therefore, it's to a teacher's advantage to understand social media and how it works. They provide many different uses such as: keeping up with friends, free advertisement, and sharing of information. Teachers can use this social networking in providing information on upcoming events and their school performance. It also can be a way to post ideas and give feedback for fundraisers or events held at the school. It can also be a tool for checking out a potential applicant for a position at the school.
Teachers who know how to social network will be able to collaborate with educators locally, across the country, or abroad. I never thought about how social networking could possibly be used for advertisement, but things such as: school events, fundraisers, school news, school performance, etc. could all be viewed through social networking.
I like the securities that are available with both sites. Facebook I felt was easier, but you have more options with Twitter I believe. I feel Facebook could be useful in a high school setting rather than elementary due to the risk of giving out to much personal information. In a high school setting, students could collaborate with one another on ideas for assignments. They could give updates on club organizations and their achievements. It is important for teachers to be aware that these media sites can be used in a positive manner, but they can also be used in a negative way as well.
http://www.facebook.com/groups/137494276493/#!/
Facebook and Twitter are great tools for social media. Therefore, it's to a teacher's advantage to understand social media and how it works. They provide many different uses such as: keeping up with friends, free advertisement, and sharing of information. Teachers can use this social networking in providing information on upcoming events and their school performance. It also can be a way to post ideas and give feedback for fundraisers or events held at the school. It can also be a tool for checking out a potential applicant for a position at the school.
Teachers who know how to social network will be able to collaborate with educators locally, across the country, or abroad. I never thought about how social networking could possibly be used for advertisement, but things such as: school events, fundraisers, school news, school performance, etc. could all be viewed through social networking.
I like the securities that are available with both sites. Facebook I felt was easier, but you have more options with Twitter I believe. I feel Facebook could be useful in a high school setting rather than elementary due to the risk of giving out to much personal information. In a high school setting, students could collaborate with one another on ideas for assignments. They could give updates on club organizations and their achievements. It is important for teachers to be aware that these media sites can be used in a positive manner, but they can also be used in a negative way as well.
http://www.facebook.com/groups/137494276493/#!/
Thing 17
After joining Delicious, I typed in educational technology and many different links to educational sites popped up. I clicked on the tag icon and was able to view other's comments regarding that site. I then clicked on a subscriber to that site and was able to view their account with their tags. Then suddenly, the web page changed and I was asked if I wanted to see the new and improved Delicious intro page. Apparently, Delicious is making some changes to their website. Once I figured that out, I then proceeded to add a link to my account. I added BrainPop with an "Education" tag.
I can certainly see how this type of social bookmarking would be beneficial in a classroom. An example would be: If you were having trouble explaining a concept in class to students, then you could access your bookmarker account and pull up a site to possibly help get your point across from a different angle. The ability to view what others have tagged, commented on, and discovered can give you insight as to whether a site would be suitable for yourself. It is also a great way to have those websites readily available in a categorized manner and not having the worry of accidentally pulling up the wrong and maybe inappropriate type of website.
I can certainly see how this type of social bookmarking would be beneficial in a classroom. An example would be: If you were having trouble explaining a concept in class to students, then you could access your bookmarker account and pull up a site to possibly help get your point across from a different angle. The ability to view what others have tagged, commented on, and discovered can give you insight as to whether a site would be suitable for yourself. It is also a great way to have those websites readily available in a categorized manner and not having the worry of accidentally pulling up the wrong and maybe inappropriate type of website.
Thing 16
I chose iGoogle for my start page because Pageflakes was unavailable at the time and Netvibes required me to upgrade my pc to Google Chrome. Since I am familiar with Google and have several Google accounts, I new this probably would be the easiest to "start" with. I chose a space themed background due to my son's love of space. I added several gadgets such as: calendar, fox news feed, weather, Bible verse of the day, and sports. I even chose a cooking recipe for my wife. I think this was a fun exercise however, I am not on the computer enough to really benefit from it at the moment. I did notice there was a calendar and a to-do list gadget you could add to your start page.
Next, I chose the 30 boxes site for my calendar. I found it easy to navigate and much like google calendar. It can be very useful to keep up with important dates and when monthly bills are due. For my to-do list, I chose Remember the Milk. Remember the Milk was easy and a wonderful tool to use, however I am still using an actual list on paper. I tried Ta Da List and Backpack only to find that it was no longer accepting new accounts. They recommended using BaseCamp. In the future I will look at using a customized start page to maybe incoporate news, to-do list and a calendar in one easy step for my classroom.
I would recommend the iGoogle start page. It was easy to navigate, add gadgets, and consolidate your many interests at one site.
Next, I chose the 30 boxes site for my calendar. I found it easy to navigate and much like google calendar. It can be very useful to keep up with important dates and when monthly bills are due. For my to-do list, I chose Remember the Milk. Remember the Milk was easy and a wonderful tool to use, however I am still using an actual list on paper. I tried Ta Da List and Backpack only to find that it was no longer accepting new accounts. They recommended using BaseCamp. In the future I will look at using a customized start page to maybe incoporate news, to-do list and a calendar in one easy step for my classroom.
I would recommend the iGoogle start page. It was easy to navigate, add gadgets, and consolidate your many interests at one site.
Thing 15
The most interesting idea that I found out about the wiki concept, was the fact that each member could edit the document(s) and even add their thoughts to it. Having everyone visit one wiki and work on the same document did seem to bring things together better than regular email. This is definitely something that I will use in the future with students, parents, and other teachers. Create a wiki, allow members, create a document, and revisit the document from time to time. It doesn't get much easier and efficient than this.
I could create a wiki for my students and their parents, and use it much like we have used it in this technology class. It could incorporate important dates, weekly topics being discussed, due dates for work assignments, field trip dates, etc. This would allow parents or students to post their ideas about what is going on in the class.
I could create a wiki for my students and their parents, and use it much like we have used it in this technology class. It could incorporate important dates, weekly topics being discussed, due dates for work assignments, field trip dates, etc. This would allow parents or students to post their ideas about what is going on in the class.
Monday, February 11, 2013
Thing # 14
For Thing 14, I explored Gliffy first to make a flowchart for an upcoming project in my history class. I found that there was a lot of navigation in choosing different templates and settings. I attempted to make a presentation of a main topic that is being studied in class and branch off from that with sub topics. There was a good deal of being precise in where the boxes were set, and I had a hard time keeping up with the arrows and tools. However, I did manage to get a flowchart made, and I can see where a teacher could use this to show how things progress in a linear way.
When I came to Bubble us. (mindmaps), this tool was very simple to navigate. In the first few minutes I was able to accomplish what had taken me a long time on Gliffy (flowchart). The tools were easy to keep up with, and I found it to be really a combination of flowcharts and mindmaps. I know that the idea behind the mindmap is to work from the center out, but I used it to do both. The neatest thing about mindmaps at Bubble us. was that you could make spelling corrections a lot easier, redraw directional arrows with ease, and choose templates and colors easy. This is definitely a visual that teachers could use in helping them get a main point across to students, and even students could prepare visual projects of their own to present to their classmates.
When I came to Bubble us. (mindmaps), this tool was very simple to navigate. In the first few minutes I was able to accomplish what had taken me a long time on Gliffy (flowchart). The tools were easy to keep up with, and I found it to be really a combination of flowcharts and mindmaps. I know that the idea behind the mindmap is to work from the center out, but I used it to do both. The neatest thing about mindmaps at Bubble us. was that you could make spelling corrections a lot easier, redraw directional arrows with ease, and choose templates and colors easy. This is definitely a visual that teachers could use in helping them get a main point across to students, and even students could prepare visual projects of their own to present to their classmates.
Thing 13
I did it, yep I did! I have officially created my FIRST spreadsheet. I went to Zoho writer first and created a spreadsheet to keep up with students grades. I have Microsoft and have never used Excel. I never really had a use for Microsoft until college. I get to share my first creation with all of you. What do you think?
I thought I was up to the challenge regarding publishing it however, I tried to export it instead. I really do not know if I did it right, but never-the-less here was my attempt...
Next was Google Docs. I found it easier and really liked the capability to have others edit or add to a document. The ability to access documents or other works anywhere is really a nice feature. It would work well in a classroom or with fellow teachers. Students can add or edit at home and work together on a project corresponding with each other. The instructions were very easy to follow. I used forms to create a test. It was a piece of cake. Here is a my creation.
It took me a while to figure out how to post it to my blog but after several failed attempts, I finally succeeded!! Good luck to you all..
| Name | Quiz 1 | Quiz 2 | Quiz 3 | Quiz 4 | Midterm | Final | Attendance |
| John Black | 90 | 85 | 98 | 84 | 93 | 95 | 100 |
| Steve Green | 95 | 98 | 84 | 90 | 95 | 90 | 100 |
| Jennifer Garnet | 98 | 90 | 82 | 96 | 95 | 99 | 100 |
I thought I was up to the challenge regarding publishing it however, I tried to export it instead. I really do not know if I did it right, but never-the-less here was my attempt...
Next was Google Docs. I found it easier and really liked the capability to have others edit or add to a document. The ability to access documents or other works anywhere is really a nice feature. It would work well in a classroom or with fellow teachers. Students can add or edit at home and work together on a project corresponding with each other. The instructions were very easy to follow. I used forms to create a test. It was a piece of cake. Here is a my creation.
It took me a while to figure out how to post it to my blog but after several failed attempts, I finally succeeded!! Good luck to you all..
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Thing 12
I explored with google alert and found it a fantastic way to get alerts on topics that I am interested in. I created an alert to my e-mail for PGA tour updates. I enjoy golf and find it refreshing that I will have the latest information at my fingertips without having to look for it myself.... See technology can be useful!
I also found google calendar very helpful and somewhat easy to use. I chose not to make my calendar public due to the fact that I don't like the idea of my schedule being open to the world to see. However, I can see where a group of teachers and parents could find this very useful. Instead of sending home calendars with each student, parents could access the daily schedule and keep up-to-date with upcoming events and field trips.
For now, I set my calendar up for the month of February with some important dates, but I stopped with just that month. https://www.google.com/calendar/render
The translator would be very helpful in class especially for your ESL students. I will definitely remember that tool and explore it more. I am sure it will come to my rescue in the future as an educator.
I also found google calendar very helpful and somewhat easy to use. I chose not to make my calendar public due to the fact that I don't like the idea of my schedule being open to the world to see. However, I can see where a group of teachers and parents could find this very useful. Instead of sending home calendars with each student, parents could access the daily schedule and keep up-to-date with upcoming events and field trips.
For now, I set my calendar up for the month of February with some important dates, but I stopped with just that month. https://www.google.com/calendar/render
The translator would be very helpful in class especially for your ESL students. I will definitely remember that tool and explore it more. I am sure it will come to my rescue in the future as an educator.
Thing 11
I tried google blog first since I google nearly everything. I found it was the easiest, since I am familiar with google already. I entered the county in which my children attend school and found their website as well as other sites concerning the county's school system. I have children in the middle and elementary schools and instead of visiting their individual websites and including the county's website, now I can add them to my RSS and view any changes or updates all at once. NICE!!!
Next, I tried the tropix. I really did not care for it. I just didn't get it. I guess I tend to get my news the traditional way and maybe I will explore with it more in the future. I did not do any better with Technorati. I typed in several different subjects such as Tennessee TCAP assessment and found nothing. I searched for a broader term like charter schools and found lots of different possibilities. I think it is great for a broad topic but google blog definitely worked for me locally. The phrase "Google It" holds true....
Next, I tried the tropix. I really did not care for it. I just didn't get it. I guess I tend to get my news the traditional way and maybe I will explore with it more in the future. I did not do any better with Technorati. I typed in several different subjects such as Tennessee TCAP assessment and found nothing. I searched for a broader term like charter schools and found lots of different possibilities. I think it is great for a broad topic but google blog definitely worked for me locally. The phrase "Google It" holds true....
Thing 10
As I have stated before, I am not a "technical up to date person," and this is the first I have heard of a newsreader or RSS. I have always relied on newspapers, magazines, or the news for the latest information. Not that I am against the internet, it is just how I grew up and what I know.
I found this exercise pretty easy and did not have any trouble setting up my account or my news feeds. I thought this is a great way to keep up with information without spending endless amounts of time on a computer. I guess one of my biggest gripes about computers is the amount of time you can spend checking different sites and before you know it--- several hours have passed by. I think the RSS is a great tool to help keep you updated and manage time wisely. I can see how this would be helpful as a teacher and will definitely use this in the future. Teachers can use this to evaluate what is working for other teachers and determine useful information for their instruction.
I found this exercise pretty easy and did not have any trouble setting up my account or my news feeds. I thought this is a great way to keep up with information without spending endless amounts of time on a computer. I guess one of my biggest gripes about computers is the amount of time you can spend checking different sites and before you know it--- several hours have passed by. I think the RSS is a great tool to help keep you updated and manage time wisely. I can see how this would be helpful as a teacher and will definitely use this in the future. Teachers can use this to evaluate what is working for other teachers and determine useful information for their instruction.
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Thing 9
This exercise was a little challenging for me. I played around for a while with different sites, brainstorming for ideas. This exercise definitely brings out the creativity in yourself. Their are lots of things you can do for yourself personally and use in the classroom.
For my first creation, I chose to make a sign you could display in your classroom for encouragement. It is easy to get frustrated as we all know, therefore I thought this sign was appropriate.
You can find this at the following link.
For my first creation, I chose to make a sign you could display in your classroom for encouragement. It is easy to get frustrated as we all know, therefore I thought this sign was appropriate.
You can find this at the following link.
The steps were easy. You choose a templete and insert your message. You choose the font, font size and color. Presto!
My next idea was to use a mosaic design to display the different types of punctation. The possibilities are limitless in displaying educational materials in a fun and unique way. You can customize to your needs. The instructions are simple: just choose a pattern, color and insert the words you want displayed. Pointing you in the right direction, here is the link:
For my last idea, I came across a website with different country's flags. I thought it would be a great way to learn about other countries. I chose the American flag and gave some information regarding the United States. I thought this was a great way to learn about other countries and make it interesting, not to mention a great way to display them in the class. You just pick which country as your template, choose the font, font size and enter your informaion in the text box. Here is the link:http://www.signgenerator.org/country-flag/flags.asp
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