Thing 23...I made it!

What a fun, engaging adventure! I can't believe how many valuable tools and resources I have acquired over the course of a few weeks. I went into this thinking it would be a lot of review of things I already know. Boy, was I ever wrong.

With each Thing I found myself becoming more and more confident in my technological abilities. Now I know who to navigate around these sites instead of just knowing the sites by name. Playing around on Web 2.0 has peaked my interested and I hope to learn even more, which will in turn help my students learn more effectively.

I am so eager to try some of these new things in my class. My students are going to love online videos, playing around with pictures, and maybe even creating a classroom book via a wiki! I have already been sharing these resources with my cousin, a second grade teacher. I will be encouraging her, along with others, to use this easy to use technology in their rooms. What a wonderful way to engage and enhance students learning!

Thing 22

To be honest, I really don't have any experience with You Tube. Our internet connection at home is slow so I've never really bothered. However, I have used various video clips, from the web, in my classroom. My kindergarten class was doing a unit on weather so we watched various tornadoes, thunderstorms and blizzards. The students took it all in....it was a very engaging learning experience.

After digging around on TeacherTube I know I definitely will utilize this site. I liked the fact that the site contained more than just video clips, but documents and photos. I printed out a few of the documents that related to skip counting and other ways to teach math concepts. I plan to use those this fall. I also feel that using SchoolTube will be a more efficient way to find video clips for various science and history lessons. I love to incorporate a variety of learning styles into each lesson. I think that watching video clips really meets the needs of my visual and auditory learners when appropriate. If I am brave enough I might enough attempt posting a video of my own students learning to read (with parent permission). I guess I will need to find out if our school allows YouTube.

Thing 21

I'm not sure what I think about Twitter. Most of my friends are on Facebook these days. However, doing a few searches on Twitter today and watching the video has definitely peaked my interest. I like that I can see what my friends are doing on my personal page and the fact that it is quick and easy updates. On the other hand, I don't have a phone with internet and our internet at home is not high speed. Not sure how that would play into how much Twitter would be used. It seems that Twitter is something that would be most beneficial/interesting if you could check it frequently.

So, I've been brainstorming how Twitter might help at school. I can see myself posting something if I needed help with an activity, project or wanting a new lesson idea. Hopefully colleagues would be checking their "Tweets" and would be able to respond. I also see that I can type in a project title in the Twitter Search bar and get a variety of results. Some results were different websites....which I definately might add PLN.

Thing 20

This was my first experience with Delicious. I think that it is going to come in VERY handy as I am constantly forgetting URLs when I need them. My user name is candi_ski. I haven't had the chance to add other people's bookmarks to my account, but I did do some searches on educational sites and parenting sites. I found quite a few that were interesting that I plan to go back and save......my daughter was demanding my attention tonight :)

I can think of a few ways I might use this in my teaching. First, and most of all, sharing sites with parents. I have recently been communicating with parents via email....so letters and notes don't get lost on the bus. Every once and awhile a parent asks what resources/educational games are on the web so that their child might play at home. This would be a perfect way to share those sites with all of the parents in my classroom! Not only could I offer educational games, but homework resources, as well as extension activities on what we are learning in the classroom.

The second way I would use this site is for my own advantage. What a great resource for me, both as a parent and as an educator. I am also looking for new interactive lessons for my students. As a mom, I love to keep up on the latest info on my young toddler...discipline, health, and growth!

Thing 19

I REALLY like the site delicious.com. What a great way to organize my bookmarks so that I can view them at any location via any computer. Too often I want to look up a site and can't remember the URL. This won't be a problem anymore. I also like the idea of tagging. This is something I have done on Facebook, but that's the extent of my tagging abilities. I like that I can enter a keyword in the search bar and the appropriate site will pop up!

Another advantage is that I can share my bookmarks. I have some great educational sites to use in the classroom and I can never seem to remember them at school. Now I have them at my fingertips at home or at school and can share them with my colleagues. No more writing them down on paper and losing the paper before I get to school. :)

The only disadvantage I can see about tags is not being specific enough. Have numerous specific keywords is definitely an advantage to finding the URL desired. If you fail to be specific your organizational skills will not be so grand. So I guess before assigning tags I will really need to think of 3-4 words to describe the site to help keep myself organized.

Thing 18

I am thinking that I love Ning (I used the Elementary Teacher's Network). What a great way to communicate with other teachers in my grade level area of expertise. I was able to get insight into different lesson ideas, resources to use in/out of the classroom, and even get some different classroom management ideas. In the district I previously worked in there were no teaching partners for the kindergarten teacher. This site would be an excellent tool for me to reach out to others and seek advice and help when needed. I also love that I can share my own ideas and thoughts. Often I have taught a lesson that really works and engages students. Ning offers a way for me share my thoughts with other elementary teachers.

Thing 17

This list is truly amazing. I had no idea there were so many fun and interesting sites on the web. Guess I need to search and play more often, however I am familiar with a few of these winners.

I enjoy facebook for a variety of reasons. I like being able to stay in touch with friends and family that don't live close by. Its fun to see their pictures and just get a small glimpse as to what is going on in their lives. I also use it to keep in touch with our babysitters. I find it much easier to facebook a high schooler or college student then tracking them down by phone.

My sister-in-law using Picasa. I love that I can view and print her pictures. I have thought about joining this site to edit and share my own prints, but I am most familiar with Shutterfly and Snapfish. After exploring Picasa, maybe I will have to branch out.

Another site I explored was lulu.com. I think this would be a great classroom too. How proud the students would be to see their work published. It would give them ownership of their learning. Since there is a cost involved I could see myself using this site to create a classbook. Each student would write, edit and publish one page for the book. In the end I would publish and incorporate it into our classroom libraries. I would definitely send a letter home to parents for those interested in purchasing a copy. On a personal level I love the photobooks and calendars. I have made many of these on Shutterfly. I might have to try a new site this year.

Thing 16

I love learning and have always attempted to create a stimulating learning environment for my students. I try to encourage creativity and show my students how what they are learning is relevant and important to their everyday lives. These videos reminded me of just how important technology is in the classroom....to foster creativity, to teach and to learn. It is important to give students a variety of options to express themselves, instead of relying on the easy paper/pencil methods. As technology becomes more accessible to students, I as a teacher, need to become more familiar with what technology could be used in the classroom. Technology is all around and is something students enjoy. Why not use it as a learning tool and engage students in the learning process, as well as prepare them for the future. These videos were a great reminder for me to utilize the technology I have and incorporate it into my lessons.

Thing 15

Hmmmm....once again, never really thought much about using podcasts in the classroom. After watching the video and listening to various educational podcasts my thoughts have TOTALLY changed. With all the push from administrators to use technology, this seems like a very simple solution. I feel that they would be very supportive at using podcasts.....actually any technology that would be engaging for students.
1) I would love to use podcasts in my classroom. What a great way to do author studies. Students can listen to various authors and then do a book talk about the books were are studying. I definitely would love for my students to listen to books via podcasts. This would be a great extension of learning.
2)I would love to learn HOW to create my own podcasts. We watched the video on how to use them, but I still don't know how to create my own. How would I incorporate podcasts into my classroom? I would love to put books on podcasts for my students to listen to during centers. What a great comprehension activity, as well as a way to incorporate different learning styles into our room.
I also think that using podcasts would be a wonderful way to involve parents in the students learning, as well as to keep open communication. I can see myself putting different lessons on the web for parents to listen to. This would give them a small glance at what students are learning in the classroom. Hopefully parents would use this as a tool to assist students in the learning process.

Thing 14

My husband and I are very familiar with podcasts and enjoy them very much. My husband works a lot of weekends so we have subscribed to Pastor Greg Laurie's podcasts and receive them through i-tunes. It gives him a chance to listen to a sermon on the way to work via his ipod.

To be honest I never really gave much thought about using podcasts in the classroom. After reading the article, Professor Studies Podcasts Effects On Learning, I can't help but think what a wonderful tool it might be on a number of different levels. As a graduate student I can see how I would benefit from a lecture on a podcast. So often I find myself missing important information. It would be so helpful to go home and listen to a lecture again....and again if needed. As a parent (who will have a child in school before I know it) I can see that it would be nice for teachers to have podcasts of various lectures. It would help me to know what was going on in the classroom and therefore better assist my child in the learning process.

As a teacher I found a few sites with podcasts that I thoroughly enjoyed and hope to use in the classroom. First Book Podcasts allowed me to listen to various authors of children's books. Many times throughout the year we have author studies. This would be a great way for my students to learn about the authors being studied. They could listen to the author speak about his/her book and find out interesting facts about his/her personal life. Another site I enjoyed was Storynory. This was a site that allows children to listen to stories via podcasts. It got me thinking that I could do this. I could take a story we were reading and make my own podcasts. Students could listen to it during centers or at home with families.

Thing 13 continued

This has been the most fun yet! I love learning new things to do with my pictures. As of right now, these sites have more value for me personally. Friends and family are going to love receiving slideshows versus boring pictures.:) However, I can see using this in those middle to upper grades. What a fun way to put together a book report or author study!

Thing 12 Continued

I made accounts for 2 sites: 30 Boxes and bubble.us. I found both of them very beneficial. The calendar was great, especially since I like to be organized. I was easily able to make a to do list and print it, create my monthly calendar of events and color code it, and then pass it on to my husband so he has a copy to print. Maybe this will help us keep track of each other and communicate a little clearer....,then again that may call for a miracle. :) However, I can see using this on a personal level but not so much in an early elementary classroom.

I created a web for our vacation. We had a choice of visiting my husbands parents again or taking a trip to Moline, IL with friends. My daughter has a huge fascination with tractors lately.....she is constantly singing "oh my John Deere." And, she's not even 2! Looks like the tractors win! My web showed what we could do in Moline vs what we could do in the UP.

I think think that this web tool would be excellent in the classroom. Students are constantly needing to brainstorm their ideas and what a great way to eliminate paper and become accustomed to technology! This is a great hands-on activity where students design their web and choose what will go in each bubble. Learning will be much more authentic then filling in a bubble on a worksheet.

Thing 12

Thing 11

I have mixed feelings about things like Google Docs. As helpful and easy as it may be I worry about the students who don't have internet access at home. (In these times many families can't afford to have internet). Its important that each student has an equal opportunity for learning. If this is a tool that is going to be used in the classroom there needs to be some kind of alternative for students who don't have the technological advantages that their peers have.

On the other hand, Google Docs seems to be so much easier than uploading documents and attaching them to emails. So many times I send an email and forget the attachment or I waste too much time trying to figure out which document needs to be attached. Google Docs would definitely eliminate this problem. I think this would be really helpful when teachers collaborate on the school wide newsletter. Instead of typing your piece and then sending it, on each teacher can go into the document add their info and edit. What a great way to save time and frustration.

Thing 10

http://alyssesnewwords.wikispaces.com/

So here is my wiki. I have created so that I can easily update my daughter's new words and phrases. She is now 20 months, so I'm a bit behind, but I'll get there.
I found this wiki site to be the easiest for me to understand how to post and edit. The language was very simple and the help menu was very simple. I'm not really sure how I will use this professionally. However, I can see creating a separate wiki for my lesson plans and inviting teachers to comment and add to them. This would be a great tool to make a old lesson into a new and improved lesson. I would also benefit from hearing what worked and did not work when using a specific lesson.

Thing 9

Before today I had only associated Wikis with Wikipedia. I didn't have a clue that it could be a resource and/or tool to be used in the classroom. When I first read through the websites explaining what a wiki was, I thought there was no way I could use them as a classroom tool. That thought changed when I went to the following site:

http://www.teachersfirst.com/content/wiki/wikiideas1.cfm

What great ideas on how to use wikis in a lower elementary classroom. I can see myself putting my students into small groups and having each group write a paragraph when doing an author study or a book review. I would also like to try a classroom book. I was thinking that I could assign each group a section (such as beginning, middle, end). After one group finished the beginning, another group could add the middle and so on. The groups would work together to post sections and edit previous posts.

http://teachingeverystudent.wikispaces.com/

What another great resource. Todays classroom is full of students with all different learning styles, gifts and abilities. At times it is a challenge to meet all of their needs. This wiki had different ideas and strategies to use in the classroom.....in the form of videos and documents. I especially appreciated the different ideas on how to incorporate technology to meet students' needs. This site was very organized but not quickly informative. I had to click on the links in order to read and understand the strategy. It would have been helpful if there was a little statement next to each link that described what the strategy was and what style of learner it would best help. As a teacher I don't have time to click every link to find what I need. The more informative and quick reading a site is the more often I will use it.

http://kcountingbook.wetpaint.com/?t=anon

I originally visited a site called "Learning with Technology." This site listed various education wikis. Since I am looking for ideas on how to use wikis in a lower elementary classroom I scrolled down until I found this GREAT idea to use in a kindergarten room. This is a fun, collaborative, hands on project to incorporate math and technology. Each student took a picture of a certain number of object. Each student then posted it to the classroom wiki...in alphabetical order. This is the definitely the kind of project I would use.....its hands-on, students work together as a team, and its EASY!

After exploring different wikis I definitely like the ones that are easy to read and give actual lesson ideas.

Thing 8

I had a difficult time trying to figure the sites that Ron listed to search for newsfeeds. After spending quite some time on each site I found that the Google Blog Search was the easiest for me to navigate. (I also went to a few sites that I knew of and checked to see if they had the RSS feed icons). I actually subscribed to several parenting and educational newsfeeds. How easy it will be to log into my Google Account and have updated parenting information at my fingertips...without the hassle of doing a google search.

Thing 7

Until this class I had never heard of Google Reader. It's really handy! I have been on vacation for the past week, but before I left I subscribed to 5 different newsfeeds (a few of my friend's blogs too). It was really nice being able to log into Google Reader and see which friends (along with a few newsfeeds) updated while I was gone. It saved a lot of time and hassle, especially since we don't have the fastest internet out here in the middle of nowhere! I liked being able to just read the updates without visiting the actual site. Now when I have an extra few minutes I now which sites to visit and which ones to ignore.
I think that this would be an excellent tool in an upper elementary or middle/high school classroom. Those students studying history or current events could have updated information instantly at their fingertips. Instead of having students do google searches a teacher could subscribe to relevant newsfeeds and with a snap of the finger students would find what they need.

Thing 6

Well....that was a earful. I'm not really sure I even understood most of that information. I never really gave much thought to copyrights regarding technology usage in the classroom. I guess I thought copyrights pertained to making photocopies of textbooks and worksheets, as well as watching videos in the classroom. I also thought that everything we used in the classroom had to be bought or sited.

Until today I never even heard of Fair Use. Since I am now totally confused as to what I can and can't use I think that all teachers should become aware of the Code of Best Practices in Fair Use. It is important that teachers now what is acceptable and unacceptable. I think that anyone who used media in the classroom should be well informed in this area. I know one thing, whatever tools I do use, I will find out if it is legal.

Thing 5: Blossoming

My creation
Originally uploaded by candiski

What a great activity! I could play around with my pictures for hours.....and I already have. Mashups would be a great tool in the classroom, whether it is used as a getting to know you activity, add to a piece of writing, or create unique gifts for parents. I think students of any age would have a great time playing around with their pictures.....what a fantastic way to spark creativity.I can also see if complimenting my classroom newsletters throughout the year or altering various lesson plans (such as vocabulary games).

Au Sable River

Au Sable River
Originally uploaded by nasunto

This is the view I woke up to every morning of my honeymoon. My husband and I had the choice of spending money on a honeymoon or going simple and using the money towards school.....we chose to go simple. However, I don't really think it matters where you go on a honeymoon as long as your there together. :)

Anyway, in the craziness and chaos of the wedding day I totally forgot to pack my camera. We have absolutely no pictures to remember our fabulous week on this beautiful river in Michigan. Since our assignment was to explore flickr I decided to see how many pictures I could find of the Au Sable River (most people haven't a clue of where it even is). So, I'm busy searching and I stumble on this wonderful photograph. It amazes me at how well it captures the beauty and peacefulness we experienced every day of our trip.

Until this class I had never even heard of flickr. What a great way for people to share pictures with others; whether it be sharing with friends or someone with a common interest. I'm eager to explore and learn more about this site.

Thing 3-Life Long Learning

The hardest and easiest of the Life Long Learning Habits. I've always considered my self a life long learner. I enjoy learning new things to the fullest....learning is an incredible journey that can take you anywhere.

I would have to say that PLAY would be the easiest of the learning habits for me. I love to play whether its playing dress up with my 20 month old daughter, rollerbladding with my husband, bowling on the wii with friend or, using my software to create digital scrapbooking pages. I believe that play is a powerful and important tool in a child's development, as well as an adult. I think when you use play to learn something new it takes the pressure off of being perfect. You are free to try new tools and if you make a mistake, all the better. How else will we learn? For me personally, I feel that when I play around with new technology I am more likely to try new things. If I make a mistake I count it as a learning experience and use it to my advantage. I've learned, I improve, and then I try again.

I would have to say that CREATE MY OWN LEARNING TOOLBOX would be the hardest habit for me. I have learned lots about the internet and can navigate myself on web pretty well. However its the tools that go with it that are hard to keep organized. With all the technology out there it is easy to know a little about a lot of things. I have a tendency to know "enough" to get by but not enough to do well. AND, there are plenty of tools that I have heard about but really not very little. I hope that this class will help me to organize the tools that I have, help me to use the tools I know a little about more effectively and then definately add to my toolbox.

23 Things-Thing 2

Hmmmmm....what makes a good blog? For me that's easy: colorful, pictures, an occasional video, easy to read and the ability to make comments. A number of my friends have blogs and I have one through my Shutterfly account. I am most interested in these personal blogs. I am drawn to my friends' blogs that keep their site update. I enjoy learning about what is new and exciting in their family and making a connection through my comments and conversations.

I have found that blogs are a much easier, less complicating way to self publish. A person can write and edit their blog at any time from virtually anywhere. I like that I can add update once a day or once a week. I have found that a person can add as much detail to their blog (making it more complex) or keep it nice and simple.

As far as blogs enhancing websites....definately. They cost nothing and are easy to use. They also allow people to comment on your site and offer positive or (sometimes) negative feedback.

23 Things-The First Thing

Wow! After reading A Day in the Life of Web 2.0 I realize how much more technology can be used in the classroom; not just as a tool for students, but parents as well. Up to this point I've used speaker/mics, power points, overhead projectors, leap pads, computer game and educational internet sites in the classroom. Never, in my wildest dreams did I think of using a classroom blog as a way to communicate with parents and include them in my classroom. It is my hope that this course will show me how I can effectively use a blog in the classroom. I am also hoping that it with show me other tools and resources that I can you use to help educate my young students. Some many students come to school, never having the privilege and advantage of technology. It is my job as their teacher to prepare them for the future.....a future that includes technology in every aspect of their lives.