I am exhausted, but THANK YOU! What an amazing course! I have been challenged, frustrated, and completely enthralled!! I will never be the same! Well, that might be a little dramatic, but my technology skills will certainly never be the same. I have laughed and cried over this class, but the learning is priceless.
I was fascinated with Flickr, various Web 2.0 tools, and Google Reader. These are things I will come back to. I am hoping I can come back to the 23 Things page so that I can use the direct links while I revisit the things I have learned.
I was surprised by the fun I am having with Facebook. I never really wanted anything to do with it, but it has been a blast finding old high school friends and peeking at pictures of their family. Their kids look just like they did when we were high school buddies.
The blogs are perfect for many things, and I want to experiment more with creating a useful wiki. We have talked about setting up a family wiki so we can better keep up with each other and all add to the page. I am part of a book study group that has met about 3 years, and we have tried to keep up with each other through emails. This has been difficult and last night I worked with another member to set up a book study blog! It is set up so we are all authors and any of us can begin a new post. An immediate application of new learning!!!!!!
I have already created several things with ImageChef and imported one into an online wedding book I am making for my son and daughter-in-law. I also think it might be fun to play around with some of the options when we create our Christmas card this year. We will see if I follow up on that one!
I think Classroom 2.0 and Teacher 2.0 will help me keep up with new developments as well as our fabulous school district who is always right on top of things. If another course like this was offered, I would give it a shot. I will also encourage others to take this course but I will warn them to be ready to give up part of their lives!!!! It DID take a lot of time to really do everything available.
My goal, of course, is to actually use this stuff throughout the year and model the tools. I would love to have teachers coming to me and saying, "How did you do that and will you show me?!?!??"
I probably won't maintain this blog, but hope to start a new one for the Tosch Staff. I will also continue to follow some of the blogs I found through this class.
Whew......the fun is just beginning!!!!
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Monday, July 13, 2009
Thing #23
I think this course is making me more social. The more aware I am of the variety of options, the more social I become. In fact, it was very difficult to move on to Thing 23 because I was having so much fun connecting with old friends on Facebook.
The discussions, comments, information, articles, videos, etc. in this lesson are amazing. When you take the time to search and review what is out there, a whole new world is opened. There are so MANY ideas with which to share and collaborate. This is something I will return to and pursue regularly.
I like that Ning as offered "ad-free" networks for educators. The ads have bothered me on several sites. I also like that it can be set to private or public. Again, the site coordinator has "control" and I certainly do like control!!
I used Ning/Teacher 2.0 and found a cool conversation on how to use Twitter in the classroom. This is a great way to share ideas! Another forum also discussed using Twitter during class. They gave many reasons as to why this encourage more students to be involved and the video clip embedded in the article interviewed students who share their thoughts on Twitter in the classroom. This was a college class, but it won't be long before this is used more regularly with other students.
Yes, I will spend more time here. As questions come up during the year regarding certain issues, I will hit Classroom 2.0 and see if there is any information out there that will help us make our decisions. It is always good to see and hear how others are doing things.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Thing #22
I love the way this Thing started with the quote, "When one of us gets smarter, we all do." I have seen and felt this throughout my 23 Things Adventure! I also felt it was important to become familiar with these tools because our students already are. We have to keep up with them, and we need to understand what they are talking about. Facebook is huge among the kids, and it is time for me to jump in. I have been reluctant, to say the least. Throughout my blog you have heard my hesitation to put myself out there. However, I believe in the learning community and the social community, and I do believe in modeling appropriate uses for the students. Hence, my interest in Facebook. It was certainly easy to join and fun to add friends. I can see this as being a great way to connect with old high school friends. I am not much for talking on the phone and like this type of interface because I can communicate in my leisure, which is often after midnight. The format is easy to manipulate, but I will continue to play with the different parts of Facebook. I have not added any pictures, but know it will be easy to do. This is one tool my kids can help me with. You can find me and join me in this adventure if you like!
I am not sure about educational uses yet. Making connections with other teachers might give me an opportunity to share ideas, but I see other tools as a better format than Facebook. I do like the control over your settings and the ability to keep some things private or make some things public. Insights---you can tell a lot about a person by what they are willing to display publicly!!! Basically, this is one more communication tool. The benefits include the accessibility to others, the casual format, the ability to post pictures, quotes, thoughts, and the ability to update anytime, anywhere. It is just fun to keep up with others! I think that is what I have enjoyed about most of the social networking tools. I can keep up with them on my terms---in my time frame. Can you tell I tend to like to have control? The limitations include lack of access at school, the way it sucks you in and snatches snippets of your life away, and the comments you sometimes end up seeing because of someone else's insensitivity.
Sometimes there is just TMI out there!!!
I am not sure about educational uses yet. Making connections with other teachers might give me an opportunity to share ideas, but I see other tools as a better format than Facebook. I do like the control over your settings and the ability to keep some things private or make some things public. Insights---you can tell a lot about a person by what they are willing to display publicly!!! Basically, this is one more communication tool. The benefits include the accessibility to others, the casual format, the ability to post pictures, quotes, thoughts, and the ability to update anytime, anywhere. It is just fun to keep up with others! I think that is what I have enjoyed about most of the social networking tools. I can keep up with them on my terms---in my time frame. Can you tell I tend to like to have control? The limitations include lack of access at school, the way it sucks you in and snatches snippets of your life away, and the comments you sometimes end up seeing because of someone else's insensitivity.
Sometimes there is just TMI out there!!!
Thing #7B
I haven't really been pleased with the sites that I subscribed to with Google Reader. Once things settle down, I will search for more relevant sites. I do like being able to open Google Reader and see the updates of all the sites. I like skimming the brief blips to see which ones I want to spend more time on. I know when I have sites that are more in tune with my needs, I will greatly benefit from Google Reader.
One article I found caught my eye because of the craziness of the summer. It made some suggestions on improving your time management skills and I have really needed that. I feel like I have done 23 Things all summer rather than manage my time properly in order to accomplish more. One of the ideas was to make lists. This is always a great thing to have so you can check thing OFF!!!! I also liked the suggestion in the article to make sure I find time for reflection and relaxation. I can't force myself to "do the impossible." I need to set goals and work toward them in a steady, consistent manner. It also talked about focusing. "The human mind works more efficiently when it is focused." (Tim Bridge of PersonaDev.com.)
This article did come from one of the sites that I have found informative.
One article I found caught my eye because of the craziness of the summer. It made some suggestions on improving your time management skills and I have really needed that. I feel like I have done 23 Things all summer rather than manage my time properly in order to accomplish more. One of the ideas was to make lists. This is always a great thing to have so you can check thing OFF!!!! I also liked the suggestion in the article to make sure I find time for reflection and relaxation. I can't force myself to "do the impossible." I need to set goals and work toward them in a steady, consistent manner. It also talked about focusing. "The human mind works more efficiently when it is focused." (Tim Bridge of PersonaDev.com.)
This article did come from one of the sites that I have found informative.
Thing #21
Well it is always exciting to find new tools to use. Google Alert is awesome and was so easy! As things come up during the year, I will be able to set up any alert that I need. For now I set it up for Mesquite Weather and it will send me a daily email to let me know what the weather is in Mesquite. The cool thing about this is that I shared something new with my daughter. Yipee!!! I knew something she didn't. She immediately went to Google Alert and set it up to notify her of any pertinent soccer news.
I tried Google Notebook and it said that they are no longer taking new users.
I played around with Google Calendar some but am not sure it will help me yet. I didn't like that it wouldn't show everything I typed in the box. I was limited on what I could put in there, unless I just am not using it correctly. I can see how it would be good to do some basic calendar sharing with office staff if I didn't have to type too much. We might could keep up with ARD's, PTA Programs, grade level programs or other things like this. I guess if I needed to say more, I could put it in the comment section, but that is just more clicking. I like to see everything I can at once. That is why I use a Month-at-a-Glance rather than a Week-at-a-Glance calendar. As with anything, it may just mean practicing and using it. I would have to get others at school to get signed on and get used to using it, too.
Google Sites looked like fun, too. We have talked about setting up a family site and most of the family members spend a lot of time at the computer. I am not sure if the grandparents would use the site too much, but we could teach them.
I worked with Picasa some and uploaded some pictures for you to view. However, when I linked the word "pictures" to the pictures, I think that link also gave you access to my gmail and everything else. So....I unlinked.
I tried Google Notebook and it said that they are no longer taking new users.
I played around with Google Calendar some but am not sure it will help me yet. I didn't like that it wouldn't show everything I typed in the box. I was limited on what I could put in there, unless I just am not using it correctly. I can see how it would be good to do some basic calendar sharing with office staff if I didn't have to type too much. We might could keep up with ARD's, PTA Programs, grade level programs or other things like this. I guess if I needed to say more, I could put it in the comment section, but that is just more clicking. I like to see everything I can at once. That is why I use a Month-at-a-Glance rather than a Week-at-a-Glance calendar. As with anything, it may just mean practicing and using it. I would have to get others at school to get signed on and get used to using it, too.
Google Sites looked like fun, too. We have talked about setting up a family site and most of the family members spend a lot of time at the computer. I am not sure if the grandparents would use the site too much, but we could teach them.
I worked with Picasa some and uploaded some pictures for you to view. However, when I linked the word "pictures" to the pictures, I think that link also gave you access to my gmail and everything else. So....I unlinked.
Thing #20
GoogleDocs will become a tool I use regularly, I hope. I love that you can create a document and never lose it, and that it can be changed online so that you don't have to keep up with the most recent copy of something. Another great feature is that you can view previous copies to see exactly what changes were made or who actually made the changes. I also like that documents can be public or private. This is still one of my concerns with some of the Web 2.0 tools----that anyone can see anything. I am looking for better ways to communicate with my staff and gather information, but there are times or discussions that need to remain confidential within our circle. I believe this tool can help me with some of that.
I created an Acceleration Form as a way to keep up with which students are in Acceleration. It will help me monitor what subject they are receiving tutoring in, who the teacher is, what days of the week they participate, when they enter and when they exit Acceleration. If I allow the classroom teachers and the testing coordinator access, then we can keep up with and formally document which students we need to monitor.
I believe this might also be a good tool to keep up with emergency staff information. At the beginnning of the year, teachers fill out a form with important information like: birthdate, children's names and ages, emergency numbers, cell numbers etc. This could be information they enter themselves and change when needed. Also, the entire staff could have access to the information. We would need to make sure it was information everyone was comfortable sharing or they could leave some sections blank. We are forever trying to find phone numbers for teachers to let them know something at the last minute.
I created a word document with upcoming dates for my staff. If I could send this to the whole staff, then I would not have to run it off and they could receive information at home during the summer or at night. I could also do this with the weekly newsletter.
Another idea is to use the form tool in order to ask a question and receive information back from teachers. It seems to work like a survey or poll. I have created one and sent it out to a few people so I can see how the information comes back and what it looks like.
I am excited about looking for more ways to incorportate this "thing" and will definitely be talking to others to see how they are using it.
I created an Acceleration Form as a way to keep up with which students are in Acceleration. It will help me monitor what subject they are receiving tutoring in, who the teacher is, what days of the week they participate, when they enter and when they exit Acceleration. If I allow the classroom teachers and the testing coordinator access, then we can keep up with and formally document which students we need to monitor.
I believe this might also be a good tool to keep up with emergency staff information. At the beginnning of the year, teachers fill out a form with important information like: birthdate, children's names and ages, emergency numbers, cell numbers etc. This could be information they enter themselves and change when needed. Also, the entire staff could have access to the information. We would need to make sure it was information everyone was comfortable sharing or they could leave some sections blank. We are forever trying to find phone numbers for teachers to let them know something at the last minute.
I created a word document with upcoming dates for my staff. If I could send this to the whole staff, then I would not have to run it off and they could receive information at home during the summer or at night. I could also do this with the weekly newsletter.
Another idea is to use the form tool in order to ask a question and receive information back from teachers. It seems to work like a survey or poll. I have created one and sent it out to a few people so I can see how the information comes back and what it looks like.
I am excited about looking for more ways to incorportate this "thing" and will definitely be talking to others to see how they are using it.
Thing #19
VoiceThread looks like an awesome classroom tool. This is another great way to motivated students and to differentiate products. I explored a variety of sites and found some fun ways to use VoiceThread. I can certainly see my teachers enjoying this tool and taking advantage of its potential. I liked the way students could present science fair projects with VoiceThread. The teachers could give feedback to the presentation as could other students. I also liked the idea of presenting a picture, piece of art, or presentation and asking students to reflect and respond. The class was asked to view this picture and give responses on where carbon is found. What a great way for teacher to see if the kids "get it!"
I loved the example where a student's picture was posted and others could share about why they liked the picture. What a great way to build a student's confidence and to give them insight into what others appreciate!
This VoiceThread gave a review of a book that had been read. This would be a fun project option for students to create. Other students could then listen to different reviews and pick the next book they wanted to read.
I loved the example where a student's picture was posted and others could share about why they liked the picture. What a great way to build a student's confidence and to give them insight into what others appreciate!
This VoiceThread gave a review of a book that had been read. This would be a fun project option for students to create. Other students could then listen to different reviews and pick the next book they wanted to read.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Thing #18
If you liked freezing in Grand Central Station, you will also enjoy this one. Yes, YouTube is addicting and once you start, it is hard to stop. If you have college kids in the house, most likely you have already seen some pretty funny stuff on YouTube. This is one more tool that we can use to inspire, humor, and engage kids or teachers (staff development).
This is a clip that I thought might be inspiring to use at the beginning of the year. You will have to go to YouTube to see this one because the ability to embed was removed. I thought that was interesting!!
I searched for how to get a children's book published and was pleased to actually find some good information on the subject.
It will me some more time for me to figure out how I want to use YouTube at school. Again, I will probably try to find clips that help us focus on a topic or clips that inspire. Embedding is huge and something I am thrilled to understand now. This is also the first time I have noticed the Google ads on the bottom of the YouTube clips. I haven't seen it before or just didn't notice it.
Um, problem with the wiki after embedding my YouTube clip.....both the slideshow and the clip play their music at the same time. Kind of an interesting sound, but I am not sure what to do about it.
BTW, I love Lee LeFever!!!
Thing #17
I am going to have to think about podcast further and how to best use them. There is a lot of junk out there and it takes a lot of time to find something worthwhile. It would be good to share sites when useful podcasts are found. I found one that mentioned an interview discussing what administrators should be able to do with technology, but they spent forever laughing at their own jokes and talking amongst themselves without getting into the topic very quickly. I don't have time for that.
I do have a teacher creating her own podcast for information to give to parents. This is a very practical use of podcasting. It is personal, meaningful, and specific to our needs.
I enjoyed Dragonfly TV Podcast and felt like this site had much to offer our students. It had videos, games, and activities for students. The information shared was real world and informative. It would capture the attention of our students while giving them valuable information, igniting their curiosity, and confirming that science is fun! I added this to my iTunes library.
I subscribed to Grammar Girl and Just One More Book because both of those offered information I felt I could use. Grammar Girl was just fun and filled with interesting tips that would be good to share with students on the announcements. Just One More Book had a cute introduction and gave reviews of children's books. The reviews were interesting and full of background information that you could share with kids before you read them the book.
I didn't have much luck with searching for podcasts, but will keep trying. I did look at audiobooks to download from iTunes, but most were pretty expensive. It would be great to have the books loaded onto your iPod for trips.
I think the most value for me would be to upload appropriate podcasts to an iPod and listen as I drive or walk. I don't have time to sit at a computer and listen, unless the information is critical to what I am looking for.
I do have a teacher creating her own podcast for information to give to parents. This is a very practical use of podcasting. It is personal, meaningful, and specific to our needs.
I enjoyed Dragonfly TV Podcast and felt like this site had much to offer our students. It had videos, games, and activities for students. The information shared was real world and informative. It would capture the attention of our students while giving them valuable information, igniting their curiosity, and confirming that science is fun! I added this to my iTunes library.
I subscribed to Grammar Girl and Just One More Book because both of those offered information I felt I could use. Grammar Girl was just fun and filled with interesting tips that would be good to share with students on the announcements. Just One More Book had a cute introduction and gave reviews of children's books. The reviews were interesting and full of background information that you could share with kids before you read them the book.
I didn't have much luck with searching for podcasts, but will keep trying. I did look at audiobooks to download from iTunes, but most were pretty expensive. It would be great to have the books loaded onto your iPod for trips.
I think the most value for me would be to upload appropriate podcasts to an iPod and listen as I drive or walk. I don't have time to sit at a computer and listen, unless the information is critical to what I am looking for.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Thing #15
Whew! Got through it!!! Actually, this was fun and I ended up playing more than I intended. Is is now after 1:00 in the morning and I need to finish up and get to bed. The only problem with doing this stuff at 1:00 in the morning is that there is no one to call for help!! Fortunately, the Cheat Sheet helped me with most of it, and I finally figured out that I needed to use the "widget" button to get my slide show in there. I used the Online Image Generators to create some new things for my wiki and will look forward to using these in my back-to-school slide show. I read several other blogs before I started mine and it actually made me nervous. Some people talked about how easy it was and others really struggled. I wondered how it would go for me! The toolbar was pretty easy to figure out and made formatting simple. I think I completed all the tasks and made appropriate links. I have saved my creations from some of the tools we have worked with on my computer and was easily able to import pictures from my files. The previous "23 Thing" learning activities really helped prepare me for this. I think that is why the wiki was not too difficult. I am looking forward to finding ways to incorporate the new learning into the new school year!!!
Thing #16
This photo uploaded by madinkbeard says it all! I am really never at a loss for a good book to read, but this site makes it so much easier and much more fun! Once again, so much information at your fingertips!!! I enjoyed searching for some of my favorite books and then reading the comments of others. It was interesting to see what they thought about my favs. It was also fun to find books that had diverse comments. Sometimes people either loved the book or hated it and their opinions were well voiced. It is great to be able to search for books by tag, author, Oprah's Book Club, etc. The best was searching by tab. I just had to think about what mood I was in and what type of book I wanted to read and type in a tab. Course, even cooler, I can purchase right then form the site. I think the groups could be useful. I searched for a principal group, but there was only one group and it focused on media specialists. I could see the benefits of connecting in a principal's group. I started my library and will try to work more on this another time. Thanks for sharing Library Thing!!
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Thing #14
Wiki Wow! I am still trying to process all this information and decide how to use it. I enjoyed reading the information, and again, went on a wild adventure. Each click of the mouse led me to something new and interesting. I searched through several wikis and was most impressed with the student input and products on several of them.
Thousands Project seemed like one of the most useful and informative blogs. It is an excellent example of kids writing, collaborating, commenting, sharing, learning, and creating. Different students could make entries about school or about something personal and other students responded and commented. I loved the idea of gathering the 1000 ideas. That must have given students something to look forward to. I liked the teacher's introduction as he set expectations or norms for the purpose and use of his wiki, and I like that he cautioned the audience to be responsible with comments. He also included links to other sites that would be of interest to the bloggers or the readers. Another great feature was that he had his lesson plans on the blog. This gives students an agenda, administration something quick and easy to monitor, and parents a partnership in the learning.
The Kindergarten Counting Book was a fun idea and I loved they way so many people got involved in finding new ways to represent the numbers. This site encouraged creativity and was simple enough for children. At first I thought the site had some cool links because I found a link to Ed Helper and Spanish materials. I realized later these were Google ads and along with the good ads came some not so good ads. I do not think that ads are appropriate with students working on the blogs so I would definitely find a wiki that was ad-free as they mentioned.
I really enjoyed the Salute to Seuss and loved the kids artwork. They used Photo Story 3 to tell their stories, so again, the students had a great place to display their products. The wiki allows parents, grandparents, other teachers, and other students to see student products and presentations. This brings learning home and sends it out globally.
I will look for a use with my staff. Gathering information by emails is difficult and very hard to keep up with. This sounds like a much better way, and I am anxious to find a way to use it in my planning. Other administrators and I might be able to use a wiki when planning our SOP days. We can begin listing all the things we need to cover and offer ideas for some fun or quick ways to cover certain items. I did notice most of the wikis were protected.
Thousands Project seemed like one of the most useful and informative blogs. It is an excellent example of kids writing, collaborating, commenting, sharing, learning, and creating. Different students could make entries about school or about something personal and other students responded and commented. I loved the idea of gathering the 1000 ideas. That must have given students something to look forward to. I liked the teacher's introduction as he set expectations or norms for the purpose and use of his wiki, and I like that he cautioned the audience to be responsible with comments. He also included links to other sites that would be of interest to the bloggers or the readers. Another great feature was that he had his lesson plans on the blog. This gives students an agenda, administration something quick and easy to monitor, and parents a partnership in the learning.
The Kindergarten Counting Book was a fun idea and I loved they way so many people got involved in finding new ways to represent the numbers. This site encouraged creativity and was simple enough for children. At first I thought the site had some cool links because I found a link to Ed Helper and Spanish materials. I realized later these were Google ads and along with the good ads came some not so good ads. I do not think that ads are appropriate with students working on the blogs so I would definitely find a wiki that was ad-free as they mentioned.
I really enjoyed the Salute to Seuss and loved the kids artwork. They used Photo Story 3 to tell their stories, so again, the students had a great place to display their products. The wiki allows parents, grandparents, other teachers, and other students to see student products and presentations. This brings learning home and sends it out globally.
I will look for a use with my staff. Gathering information by emails is difficult and very hard to keep up with. This sounds like a much better way, and I am anxious to find a way to use it in my planning. Other administrators and I might be able to use a wiki when planning our SOP days. We can begin listing all the things we need to cover and offer ideas for some fun or quick ways to cover certain items. I did notice most of the wikis were protected.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Thing #13
Wow! This was a long, two day activity for me. I spent hours just reading, looking, searching. There is so much information and I still struggle with questions like, "Is this information true? Is the source reliable? Did they do any research? Is this person really who they say the are?" I realize anything can be out there and it is my job to analyze and decide how to use it. I searched for recipes, leadership, school culture, authors, etc. and found myself buried in information. I couldn't stop reading. There are so many ideas out there, so many opinions, so many thoughts. I still struggle with wondering if I really want the world to know my thoughts. I followed one of my subscriptions and saw my username on a tag and realized anyone could click on that and go straight to my bookmarks. Then I wondered what they would think of my bookmarks and what would people learn about me through my bookmarks. Again, I still struggle with "being out there." Yet, I want to take advantage of the information out there so I must be willing to "play." This certainly does take playing. It took me a while to figure out tags, bookmarks, subscriptions, etc., but I can see some great benefits. One on my teachers talked about sharing her bookmarks with her team and that this would make it so much easier than the way she did it in the past! Go SH!!! I would love to be networked with other principals and piggyback off their finds! If you look at my bookmarks have some fun with some of the games. Then you will see why I was up all night!
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Thing #7a
I have checked my Google Reader regularly and like the way I can get a quick update, skim the blips about what has been added, then pick what I want to pursue. I have added a couple more sites to my Google Reader, but want to get rid of some of the sites. I haven't figured out how to do that yet....probably right in front of me.
I have subscribed to the Historic Mesquite Blog which is brand new. Becky Allen has created it and is keeping the community posted on what they are doing to preserve and share our city history. I am excited about their latest adventure--- Blazin' a Trail at the Opal Lawrence Historical Park. This will be a fun excursion for families and schools in the future. Historic Mesquite does host an excellent field trip for third graders and I highly recommend it.
I read through the updates on the children's book blog I am following. One article shared the four books that Jenna Bush, sixth grade teacher and daughter of former President George W. Bush, described as her best books ever. There was also some information about companies looking for books to print and publish. This is something I would like to pursue someday so it was nice to read about a couple of places that could support me in the pursuit of that dream.
I have subscribed to the Historic Mesquite Blog which is brand new. Becky Allen has created it and is keeping the community posted on what they are doing to preserve and share our city history. I am excited about their latest adventure--- Blazin' a Trail at the Opal Lawrence Historical Park. This will be a fun excursion for families and schools in the future. Historic Mesquite does host an excellent field trip for third graders and I highly recommend it.
I read through the updates on the children's book blog I am following. One article shared the four books that Jenna Bush, sixth grade teacher and daughter of former President George W. Bush, described as her best books ever. There was also some information about companies looking for books to print and publish. This is something I would like to pursue someday so it was nice to read about a couple of places that could support me in the pursuit of that dream.
Thing #12
I created a poll so I hope if you see this blog, you will participate! I can see many uses for this at school. As an administrator, I am often trying to get the opinions of my staff. It has been difficult to find a way to keep up with their answers. I have put surveys out in emails and on paper, but with emails, I have to mark responses somewhere or print their email and keep up with it. Paper surveys just get filed after you hand count everything to see what the staff voted for. This tool is quick and easy to develop and will capture my results for me! This tool does post results and you can choose to keep it private or allow participants to see the results. I could also leave a choice for a write in vote if one of my choices did not suit the participant. This is a great way to allow others to share their thoughts or opinions. The site has both polls and surveys that can be developed.
I worked with several of the tools, but had the most fun with Picnik. I can see mostly using this for personal reasons, but it would also liven up slideshow presentations for school. We may find some fun ways to "enhance" pictures before posting them on our school website. This was a picture we took for our Christmas card a couple of years ago. Wish I had know about Picnik then!!!
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Thing #11
I used
There are all kinds of funny faces to use from this site. Each face gives you a chance to share your thoughts. This will be fun to use in newsletters and memos or possibly to attach to an email. You can pick any face that best helps you get your message across or that will best help others remember your message. Teachers could use this to emphasize a point in their lessons. The tool takes you through the steps and you simply fill in blanks, then save as a picture.
Although I enjoyed the use of this tool and can see the fun in designing a magazine cover, the information is sad to share. We came home from a family dinner and fireworks to discover our Charlie is missing. We don't know how she escaped, but hope some kind, loving family has picked her up and is taking care of her until they find us.
I used this site to make the magazine cover. It was very simple and, again, all I had to do is fill in the blanks. You can quickly preview your image and make changes as needed. The first time I made the magazine cover, the writing was covering Charlie's face, so I was able to go back and adapt the writing to my picture.
Thanks to all the "fun" I had with the slide show, it helped me figure out how to get Spell with Flickr into my blog. So, I guess all that time and frustration did lead to some wonderful discovery. (Easy to say now that I am past the frustration.) I also had some good advice from fellow thingster, JW. She told me to highlight the html and copy into a new post. How easy is that!!! Thanks again, Jen.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Thing #10
For a learning activity that should have been so much fun and pretty simple, I found myself very frustrated. I have spent hours on this one activity. I am not sure if it was because my computer argued with me about every move I made, or because the music choices were so poor in RockYou. I would have loved to use something from my iTunes library, but after the copyright warning, I was wary. My computer crashed three times in the process of creating the slideshow, so I had to reboot and redesign several times. Each time I searched for appropriate, inspirational music but came up short. I hoped for a good instrumental piece or a song that captured the mood. In the end, after the third design, I decided against music and was ready to post. Then new problems presented themselves. After many tries, I finally embedded my slideshow from RockYou, only to find out it wasn't my slideshow. I remember reading that someone else had this problem, and I would sure like to know how to solve it. After redesigning my slideshow two more times, attempting the embedding process again, and still finding someones else's slideshow, I moved on to Slide.com. I like the music choices much better on this program and anxiously waiting to see if it works. This the the third time I have typed this blog, because the slideshow continues to scroll and then won't post.
Can someone tell me what step I am missing or why I can't embed?
Where can I read about copyright for music and slideshows?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mychatham/369614745/
Christopher Seufert Photography
http://www.flickr.com/photos/parksy/32224816/
Parksy1964
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bike/281872271/
richardmasoner
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikebaird/393732742/
mikebaird
http://www.flickr.com/photos/vaguelyartistic/292083492/
Vaguely Artistic
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Thing #9
Wow! Flickr is full of amazing photos!You can type in any word or any idea and suddenly an abundance of images assaults you.
Our theme at Tosch next year is Surfing the Waves of Success and will deal with the ocean, beaches, surfing, etc. I found some excellent pictures reflecting these ideas and look forward to creating a slide show with some of them.
In my slide show presentations, I often want to appeal to the emotions of my audience. Through my searches, I found many pictures that could be used to reflect joy, excitement, turmoil, struggle, and peace. As we prepare to face a new year at school, I want my teachers to get emotionally involved. I want them to feel the excitement of the upcoming year, and sense the difference we can make for students that particular year. Parksy1964 has captured the beauty of individuality on a gloomy day. This picture represents our uniqueness and how our creativity can be used to enhance our lessons and brighten each day for our students.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/parksy/32224816/
I used Writeboard to take notes as I read about ideas on how to use Flickr in the classroom. I can refer back to those notes anytime and share those ideas with others. I loved the idea of using the images for writing prompts or storytelling.
I had a blast with Spell with flickr, but I could not get the letters into my blog. I noticed some of you have so please share the trick!
Can anyone give me some suggestions on this?
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Thing #8
I am excited to learn the purpose of the CC, although I have never really noticed the CC symbol on any sites or graphics. I have struggled with the idea of what is copyrighted and what is not, and I have relied too heavily on my librarian to answer my questions. I feel that I understand things a little better now and can see the difference it will make for me. I always start the year with a powerpoint presentation and will have fun looking for ways to make it more meaningful with images from the web. In the past, I have relied mostly on purchased clip art, and have never really considered the problem of using images from the web. Now I will be able to branch out with confidence. Although I can't really think of a time I have shared my powerpoint presentations online, I can see that it might be a possibility and I want to do it correctly.
In the first video, I related to the visual image and idea of standing on the shoulders of my peers. I have always loved the quote, "If I have been able to see further than others, it is because I have stood on the shoulders of giants." (Sir Isaac Newton). Again, what a great way for us to synthesize, evaluate, and analyze ideas so that we can make them better fit our purposes.
I did explore the CC Search tool and can see the fun in that! I typed in words like: children, joy, angel, success. Some fascinating pictures popped up, and it was entertaining to see how other people viewed or represented these same words. There was a devilish drawing of a dog that popped up when I typed in "angel" and a precious picture of a family that popped up with "joy." I can see the value of this tool as I put powerpoint presentations together.
I like this new world where "collaboration rules."
In the first video, I related to the visual image and idea of standing on the shoulders of my peers. I have always loved the quote, "If I have been able to see further than others, it is because I have stood on the shoulders of giants." (Sir Isaac Newton). Again, what a great way for us to synthesize, evaluate, and analyze ideas so that we can make them better fit our purposes.
I did explore the CC Search tool and can see the fun in that! I typed in words like: children, joy, angel, success. Some fascinating pictures popped up, and it was entertaining to see how other people viewed or represented these same words. There was a devilish drawing of a dog that popped up when I typed in "angel" and a precious picture of a family that popped up with "joy." I can see the value of this tool as I put powerpoint presentations together.
I like this new world where "collaboration rules."
Thing #7
After reading several blogs from various sites, I do realize the value of the comments. In many cases I enjoyed the comments more than the initial information. The comments help stretch your thinking as you pull many different perspectives together in order to synthesize your own thoughts on the topic. I find value in what others are saying and enjoy the conversations I can have with people I don't know and with people from around the world. I also found it fascinating as people responded back and forth to various comments. A conversation it is.
I began looking for educational feeds from Texas and realized as I looked into different sites and blogs---kids are kids, leadership is leadership and people from Australia, Canada, and Oklahoma also have great insight into my profession.
I also find that I look forward to seeing if there are any comments left on my own blog. That anticipation alone shows me the value of comments and the impact that can be made. Of course, I still want everyone to agree with me, but I am working on that!
I began looking for educational feeds from Texas and realized as I looked into different sites and blogs---kids are kids, leadership is leadership and people from Australia, Canada, and Oklahoma also have great insight into my profession.
I also find that I look forward to seeing if there are any comments left on my own blog. That anticipation alone shows me the value of comments and the impact that can be made. Of course, I still want everyone to agree with me, but I am working on that!
Monday, June 29, 2009
Thing #6
It was great fun to open my Google Reader this afternoon and see the updates that had been added. Some sites had no new updates while others did. I could easily skim the titles and first sentence to see if I wanted to read further. Since I am out of town, I went straight to the WFAA blog update and read about a car chase ending in Garland. I have a relative who is a police officer in Garland, so it caught my eye.
It was nice to see the 23 Thingsters blogs that had been updated so I didn't have to search through those going back and forth between screens. I was able to click on the ones I am following and could see immediately what new "things" they had posted.
I am fascinated by the sites my classmates are discovering, and I am finding that it is nice to piggy back off their research and use some of the same sites.
The trick is going to be to find quality feeds and to immerse myself in the "circle of the wise." CS Lewis was quoted in the article as saying, “The next best thing to being wise oneself is to live in a circle of those who are.” I loved all the hints on finding good feeds...look for people who inspire you…when you find someone you trust to follow, see who they blog with…life is too tough to have real and virtual people bring you down....look for people who understand the responsibility of blogging...look for conversationalists....look for people who are widely read and use the information to learn and grow…those who have adopted the mindset of lifelong learner....look for people who strive for excellence in their field---these are shared from http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/2006/12/how-to-create-your-circle-of-wise-how.html
I will probably trash several of the feeds that I have currently chosen, but I am going to continue looking for the right feeds for me. If any one else finds some good feeds, please share!!!
I also subscribed to the Quote for the Day feed and feel this quote from Carl Sandburg best describes my current status with 23 Things: "There is an eagle in me that wants to soar, and there is a hippopotamus in me that wants to wallow in the mud."
It was nice to see the 23 Thingsters blogs that had been updated so I didn't have to search through those going back and forth between screens. I was able to click on the ones I am following and could see immediately what new "things" they had posted.
I am fascinated by the sites my classmates are discovering, and I am finding that it is nice to piggy back off their research and use some of the same sites.
The trick is going to be to find quality feeds and to immerse myself in the "circle of the wise." CS Lewis was quoted in the article as saying, “The next best thing to being wise oneself is to live in a circle of those who are.” I loved all the hints on finding good feeds...look for people who inspire you…when you find someone you trust to follow, see who they blog with…life is too tough to have real and virtual people bring you down....look for people who understand the responsibility of blogging...look for conversationalists....look for people who are widely read and use the information to learn and grow…those who have adopted the mindset of lifelong learner....look for people who strive for excellence in their field---these are shared from http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/2006/12/how-to-create-your-circle-of-wise-how.html
I will probably trash several of the feeds that I have currently chosen, but I am going to continue looking for the right feeds for me. If any one else finds some good feeds, please share!!!
I also subscribed to the Quote for the Day feed and feel this quote from Carl Sandburg best describes my current status with 23 Things: "There is an eagle in me that wants to soar, and there is a hippopotamus in me that wants to wallow in the mud."
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Thing #5
I am sitting in Fredericksburg Inn wondering why I am struggling with Thing #5 when I could be shopping!!! This was a difficult learning activity for me because I couldn't seem to make things work like they were supposed to work. I do love the idea of RSS, but at first I thought. "Oh, this is just another place to make a bookmark." Of course, the more I read and experimented, the more I realized the benefits of this tool. I think it will be especially useful once some of my teachers start blogging with their parents or students. It will be nice to know when there is an update without constantly searching that out. I have one blog I have been following the last few weeks by an old high school acquaintance who has been diagnosed with cancer. I have been inspired by her positive attitude and by her uplifting words, so I find myself checking for her post each day. I am always a little disappointed when I open it and see it hasn't been updated yet. Google Reader and RSS just solved that problem! I admit that I felt a little like a stalker at first (reading in on someone else's life), but this class has already help me see how a blog opens the doors for communication---sharing, thinking, supporting, laughing, and crying with others around the world.
I could not get the third required feed or the two stretch feeds to do anything I wanted them to do. My "helpers" weren't much help so I am moving on at this point.
I did find a site about children's books that I have subscribed to and am looking forward to learning from that site. Eric Carle just turned 80!!! I can't wait to see Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs!!!
http://childrensbooks.about.com
I did try to subscribe to a couple of other sites but it would not work. Maybe they were not sites that have new information posted or maybe I was not doing it correctly, but it worked for me on other occasions. I tried to go to Oprah's Book Club and I tried Mesquite Local Weather.
Oh well....on to Thing #6!!! Yipee!
I could not get the third required feed or the two stretch feeds to do anything I wanted them to do. My "helpers" weren't much help so I am moving on at this point.
I did find a site about children's books that I have subscribed to and am looking forward to learning from that site. Eric Carle just turned 80!!! I can't wait to see Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs!!!
http://childrensbooks.about.com
I did try to subscribe to a couple of other sites but it would not work. Maybe they were not sites that have new information posted or maybe I was not doing it correctly, but it worked for me on other occasions. I tried to go to Oprah's Book Club and I tried Mesquite Local Weather.
Oh well....on to Thing #6!!! Yipee!
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Thing #4
The articles in this learning activity were awesome. I was fascinated by the content but even more fascinated by the comments and interaction. Hence, the whole idea of a blog! Of course, I used the faithful Writeboard to take notes and jot down ideas regarding the blogs and guess I didn't save it! One more lesson learned the hard way!
I am still adjusting to this virtual world. My kids have encouraged me to try some things, but I still struggle with putting my thoughts and feelings out there for everyone to read. When reading the comments on "Why I Don't Assign Homework," I found that I wasn't sure I was ready to handle people disagreeing with me. The conversations between Dan and Griefer were interesting, to say the least. I think Griefer ended with saying something like..."conversation to weird for me." However, the comments between Dan and Jonathan were civil and informative. Both participants seemed to learn from each other. I think I would enjoy blogging subjects like this with my staff. It is a great way to get everyone's opinions and thoughts while stretching and learning from each other.
I also enjoyed, " Is this SSR, 2.0?" Again, it was fun to read about someone's new idea and see how they were thinking out of the box. Without the availability of a blog, this information could not reach so many people so quickly. It was also helpful to read about how others tweaked the idea or changed it to meet their needs. If we want to reach kids, we need to meet them where they are, and they live in this virtual world. If reading blogs teaches them how to pursue new ideas, create beneficial conversations, and read critically, then we are doing something right!
"Spies Like Us" actually scared me to death. The inappropriate use of technology is definitely a problem and teaching ethics as we teach the use of new skills is vital. The comment that Nazi Germany learned how to do what they could do, not what they should do is a perfect example of what can and obviously does happen with the inappropriate use of the tools. Sue Roseman's comment that we should teach as if we are being watched at all times is something I will address with my staff.
I enjoy the informal discussions in a blog. The candor with which people write is refreshing. I do believe that if we have students writing blogs that we need to discuss the difference in this kind of writing, TAKS writing, "research" writing, etc. But, blogs are a great tool and one I think students, parents, and teachers can use in order to better communicate, approach new ideas, and enhance learning.
I am still adjusting to this virtual world. My kids have encouraged me to try some things, but I still struggle with putting my thoughts and feelings out there for everyone to read. When reading the comments on "Why I Don't Assign Homework," I found that I wasn't sure I was ready to handle people disagreeing with me. The conversations between Dan and Griefer were interesting, to say the least. I think Griefer ended with saying something like..."conversation to weird for me." However, the comments between Dan and Jonathan were civil and informative. Both participants seemed to learn from each other. I think I would enjoy blogging subjects like this with my staff. It is a great way to get everyone's opinions and thoughts while stretching and learning from each other.
I also enjoyed, " Is this SSR, 2.0?" Again, it was fun to read about someone's new idea and see how they were thinking out of the box. Without the availability of a blog, this information could not reach so many people so quickly. It was also helpful to read about how others tweaked the idea or changed it to meet their needs. If we want to reach kids, we need to meet them where they are, and they live in this virtual world. If reading blogs teaches them how to pursue new ideas, create beneficial conversations, and read critically, then we are doing something right!
"Spies Like Us" actually scared me to death. The inappropriate use of technology is definitely a problem and teaching ethics as we teach the use of new skills is vital. The comment that Nazi Germany learned how to do what they could do, not what they should do is a perfect example of what can and obviously does happen with the inappropriate use of the tools. Sue Roseman's comment that we should teach as if we are being watched at all times is something I will address with my staff.
I enjoy the informal discussions in a blog. The candor with which people write is refreshing. I do believe that if we have students writing blogs that we need to discuss the difference in this kind of writing, TAKS writing, "research" writing, etc. But, blogs are a great tool and one I think students, parents, and teachers can use in order to better communicate, approach new ideas, and enhance learning.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Thing #2
I have spent hours this evening setting up my blog and playing with my Avatar. I had to redo mine after I realized I had picked the exact same one as another 23 Things participant. How crazy is that?! I guess she and I need to go shopping together. We even had the same outfit!
I am overwhelmed by the possibilities with Web 2.0 and anxious to get more involved in the learning activities. I continue to see my role as one who models the learning for my staff and as an encourager to help them try new things. I also see that I need to provide the time and resources for my teachers to get more involved with these amazing tools.
I worry that my students and parents may not have access to computers, but I will brainstorm some ideas with my staff about how to involve the parents more. I was fascinated by the article that talked about all the ways the teachers, students, and parents communicated, created, and studied with the Web 2.0 tools. This social networking still seems so "out there," but I realize many are already doing these things. This is also how we will hook learners into our classrooms.
I loved the team wikis where students created the study guides and the podcast where parents could listen in on a classroom discussion. This would open the door for so many discussions at home.
These tools need to become part of our instruction rather than activities on the side. I think about how it will fit in with TAKS and look forward to discovering ways we can incorporate preparation for skills tested on TAKS with the digital learner. With TAKS students are expected to think and work at higher levels. Web 2.0 tools encourage this thinking and problem-solving.
I look forward to working with a campus blog where our faculty can discuss books we are reading, share funny stories for the day, do some vertical planning, or create activities that engage learners.
I love using the Writeboard. I am able to take notes while reading articles or watching videos online, and then can refer back to those notes while reflecting on the learning or creating my blog.
Sounds like the best is yet to come!
I am overwhelmed by the possibilities with Web 2.0 and anxious to get more involved in the learning activities. I continue to see my role as one who models the learning for my staff and as an encourager to help them try new things. I also see that I need to provide the time and resources for my teachers to get more involved with these amazing tools.
I worry that my students and parents may not have access to computers, but I will brainstorm some ideas with my staff about how to involve the parents more. I was fascinated by the article that talked about all the ways the teachers, students, and parents communicated, created, and studied with the Web 2.0 tools. This social networking still seems so "out there," but I realize many are already doing these things. This is also how we will hook learners into our classrooms.
I loved the team wikis where students created the study guides and the podcast where parents could listen in on a classroom discussion. This would open the door for so many discussions at home.
These tools need to become part of our instruction rather than activities on the side. I think about how it will fit in with TAKS and look forward to discovering ways we can incorporate preparation for skills tested on TAKS with the digital learner. With TAKS students are expected to think and work at higher levels. Web 2.0 tools encourage this thinking and problem-solving.
I look forward to working with a campus blog where our faculty can discuss books we are reading, share funny stories for the day, do some vertical planning, or create activities that engage learners.
I love using the Writeboard. I am able to take notes while reading articles or watching videos online, and then can refer back to those notes while reflecting on the learning or creating my blog.
Sounds like the best is yet to come!
Thing #1
Lifelong learning is vital to our job. We have to be ready to apply the most recent research to our tasks, take advantage of the most advanced technology tools, and pursue global information in our decision-making. Learning becomes a habit. We need to be constantly reading, talking, thinking, and creating in order to offer our students the very best.
All that to say, I think the most important habit for me will be to teach and mentor others. My hope is to become comfortable with these skills so that I can model them regularly for the teachers. The goal would then be for them to see the ease with which I have mastered the Web 2.0 tools, and then they will be willing to use the tools in their classrooms. The problem, of course, is the "ease" with which I use the tools. That is yet to be seen. I have already failed my first goal to be through with Thing #7 by June 22!!!
This leads me to Habit 2, which apparently is the most difficult for me right now. Since I am only on Thing #3, and we are well into week two, I am not really demonstrating responsibility for my own learning. I do, however, have the desire to explore and am excited about the upcoming learning activities. Besides, I am determined to stay ahead of certain friends with accomplishing the "things" in a timely manner!
The easiest habit for me will be Habit 7 1/2. I do enjoy "playing" on the computer and am excited about the possibilities out there. Once I actually sit down and begin using new tools or programs, I usually become addicted and find it difficult to walk away. Hence, I often sleep through cafeteria duty.
All that to say, I think the most important habit for me will be to teach and mentor others. My hope is to become comfortable with these skills so that I can model them regularly for the teachers. The goal would then be for them to see the ease with which I have mastered the Web 2.0 tools, and then they will be willing to use the tools in their classrooms. The problem, of course, is the "ease" with which I use the tools. That is yet to be seen. I have already failed my first goal to be through with Thing #7 by June 22!!!
This leads me to Habit 2, which apparently is the most difficult for me right now. Since I am only on Thing #3, and we are well into week two, I am not really demonstrating responsibility for my own learning. I do, however, have the desire to explore and am excited about the upcoming learning activities. Besides, I am determined to stay ahead of certain friends with accomplishing the "things" in a timely manner!
The easiest habit for me will be Habit 7 1/2. I do enjoy "playing" on the computer and am excited about the possibilities out there. Once I actually sit down and begin using new tools or programs, I usually become addicted and find it difficult to walk away. Hence, I often sleep through cafeteria duty.
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