Thing #21 Animoto

Try our video maker at Animoto.

I really like creating this video with Animoto! If only I had more time and money to upgrade and make more videos.  This would be a wonderful tool for teachers to use to display student work on the class website.  As a parent I know I would love to have my child's work showcased in this manner.  Earlier this semester I had to travel to South Africa.  Although this was not really a pleasure trip, I took along my camera and captured some of the beautiful sites.  The music in the background is from a South African Jazz Musician I met during my trip.

Summary

This was way more work than I initially anticipated.  As I noted in an earlier blog, one thing lead to another which lead to another, and so on and so forth.  There was a great deal of information I learned from this project but for some reason I feel like I need to start over and complete this process at my own pace in order to best utilize the tools I found most useful to their full capacity.  There were several tools I wanted to immediately begin using and sharing with my students as well as family members.  My personal go to is now the Google Reader which I use daily.  I have also shared LiveBinders with other teachers I know.  This project could be improved by being a discovery project over the entire matriculation through the certification program.  One other thing I've learned from this project is the fluency at which students are expected to obtain and retain information has greatly increased over the past decade or so.  Technology is a no longer just one way of doing things, it is becoming the only way to do things in much of our culture.

Thing #23 Creative Commons

My exploration of Creative Commons lead to discoveries that will hopefully keep me and my students out of court!  It is important to me make every attempt to maintain integrity while integrating new tools into my curriculum.  Students should learn to refrain from plagerism in all aspects and modes of communication. Creative Commons lead me to discover other websites and lesson plans to aide me in teaching these important concepts.

Thing #22 Keepin' it Together: Livebinders

Middle School English Grammar

I have created three Live Binders.  They are: Middle School Grammar, Middle School Reading, and Middle School Social Studies.  Of all the organizational tools I've discovered through this project, I like live binders the most.  I think this will be a very useful tool for students and teachers alike.  I currently like the idea of students using binders to organize their notes, assignments and other documents.  This is a tool that can be easily implemented and a great way for teachers, students and parents to share information.  Continunity is key!

Thing #20 You, Too, Can YouTube

What I like most about YouTube is the filing feature.  I can search and save videos to show at a later date.  I can share videos with others.  I am now creating files of videos to coincide with lessons I create and find for several different subject areas.  I chose the video below because it relates to the standard I have chosen to work with for this class.




<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/o2G5DSvNVvY?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Thing #19 Beyond Facebook: Other Social Networks

I am now a proud member of TeacherPop!  I joined this social network but something with this computer I'm using just won't let me add the badge.  As I stated earlier I have been member of Facebook in the past just to keep in touch with out of state family.  I have also joined What's On My Bookshelf but I have not shared any of my books yet but I plan to use this tool to share my collections and acquire books I am interested in reading and/or to test out some books before presenting them to my students.

Thing #18 Explore Social Networking

Most middle and high school aged students spend countless hours communicating with friends and others via facebook and twitter.  I find both these networks to be controversial.  Most recently cyber-bullying is quickly becoming one source of much dismay among young people.  Gone are the days when you could end a conflict by talking it out at school and forgetting about it.  Nowadays, someone somewhere is going to find a way to keep the drama going with a FB post or Tweet.

I have used Facebook to keep in touch with my many family members who chose to frequent these sites.  Mainly I joined because I don't get to visit my home state very much and this was the most convenient way to send well wishes and at least know what some newer family members look like growing up.

Although I can see some ways that social networking could benefit learning, I have found many more reasons for young students not to use these tools.

Thing #17 Tagging and social bookmarking with Delicious

As soon as I completed this "thing" I began using it.  I had never even heard of Delicious before and the title was intriguing at the start.  This tool is very user friendly and I like the idea of being able to access all my bookmarks from any computer.  I pretty much do the same thing with my + Google account but with delicious I don't have to log into my Google account and risk everything I have associated with my Google account being hacked while using a public computer.

Thing #16 Get Organized with Web 2.0 Tools

I live by the list!  I make list for everything.  I make grocery list, to-do list, wish list, book list, etc.  I chose iGoogle as my start page because I am familiar with Google, I already had a gmail account and use several other google tools.  I actually created my google start page while completing another one of the "things".  I only recently started using the calendar feature on google.  Previously I relied on my outlook calendar and the app that is on my cell phone to keep track of important dates and meetings.  I found the google calendar just as useful, if not more so, than the outlook calendar simply because most of the tools I use are already on my start page and with google.  I do like the idea of the to-do list but, I doubt that I will use it as much as my pen and paper.  It just seems easier to me to keep a note pad and check off items as I complete them.  I have sent my mother the links for igoogle and suggested that she being using these tools for her business.  She does quite a bit of travel and it is not always easy for her to carry all her documents and hard copies of information with her.

Thing #15 What in the World is a Wiki?

For years I've used the wiki Wikipedia to look up information.  I relied on this tool and expected the information there was factual.  I was not aware until completing this exercise exactly how this information was collected.  Although I have not seen any reason to believe that the information on Wikipedia is not the most reliable that could be collected, I am now a bit leery and tend to use other tools to verify the information.  I also joined a wiki at the school where I currently work and thus far only administrators have posted and made changes to the information.

Thing #14 Go with the Flow

I chose to explore flowchart and mind meister.  I used flowchart while working on a math project.  Flowcharts and mindmaps can be very helpful visual aids to use with students.  I was especially interested in learning how these tools can be used in the classroom with students with learning disabilities. Flowcharts would probably be best suited for teachers to use to create visual aides for students whereas mind maps are likely best used by the student to keep track of information they may need for a project. Both sites I tested were pretty user friendly and neither required a lot of steps to set up accounts.  Flowchart was had the most steps because it required an invitation to be sent to my email before I could log in.  I also liked the ability to easily share documents with Google Drive.  

Thing #13 Web-based Applications

https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B6f5JDzQARn3S3dzUWpWZHpOQ2s
I created an account on Zoho only because this assignment called for it.  Personally, Zoho Writer is not my choice for productivity tools.  I much prefer Google Drive.  I found that Zoho Writer had too many steps in order to share a document and even once I got through all the steps the link still did not work when I tested it in this blog post.  However, Google Drive is my "friend".  Aside from the fact that I am already a google user, Google Drive was compatible with Dropbox which enabled me to easily share a project I needed to complete for another class.

I can envision myself and my future students using Google Drive to collaborate on projects.  Whenever there is an opportunity for students to work on group projects, I will require them to use Google Drive.  A perfect example was the project I worked on with four other students in another class.  It was a math course in which groups were assigned problems to present to the class.  Our group was able to share our problems with each other and make corrections and additions prior to sharing the assignment with the entire class

Thing #12 Google is Not Just for Searching Anymore

!Google, google, and more GoOgLe!!!! Wow! The possibilities are endless with the wonderful world of Google.  First of all I have had a Google email (gmail) account for a number of years now.  It all began when I purchased a cell phone.  I was required to set up a gmail account in order to use some of the phone's features.  Prior to this I used  yahoo as my preferred email so I figured I would just use the gmail for the less important stuff.  This course had opened my eyes to a plethora of useful tools and information for which I already had available to me.  I can now proudly report that I am now a Google + user, I have a Google Reader account, I set up a Google Alert with the topic "teaching in behavior support classrooms", and I have tried to used Google Translate to learn a few key phrases to use in my overseas travels to Southern Africa later this month.  I looked up Hello, Thank you and How much? in Afrikaans only to discover that in Southern Africa, Afrikaans is considered the "language of the oppressor and I would make more enemies than friends if I chose to use this language during my travels! However, I am still excited about the usefulness of this tool in my future classroom.  Social Studies is one of the subject areas for which I believe I will get the most use of the translate tool.  Often times when studying various cultures unfamiliar words or phrases will appear.  This tool will not only aide students in pronouncing the words but also provided examples of usage to deepen student understanding of the word or phrase.  I also plan on using the calendar tool as a resource for parent communication, visual aides for students, and reminders for myself! 

http://translate.google.com/?hl=en&tab=XT#auto/es/Dear%20Parent%2C%0A%0AThank%20you%20for%20giving%20me%20the%20opportunity%20to%20join%20you%20in%20exploring%20the%20possibilities%20of%20life%20with%20your%20child

Thing #11 Finding Good Feeds

This "thing" turned out to be VERY time consuming! This was primarily because one interesting blog led me to another blog that led me to read yet another blog and so on and on I followed until I forgot where I found the original interesting blog! After about a week or so of my seemingly endless search for a few good feeds, I finally decided to reflect on what I had learned thus far.  I needed to prioritize and fast! So I went back to the APSU 23Things blog and started with the six questions asked in the discovery exercise.

The method of finding feeds I found easiest to use would have to be the method that sent me into this frenzy in the first place.  I just went with the flow! First I selected one of the sites suggested, Cool Cat Teacher, and from there I discovered one interesting lead after the other and I ended up with four blogs to follow in my Google Reader (in addition to a few of my classmates' blogs).

I also used a couple of the search tools listed and Google Blog Search was the most user friendly in my opinion.  This tool was the least cumbersome and most direct method of the few.  Neither Topix nor Technorati were particularly confusing just overwhelming.  Although there are tons of useful and interesting blogs available, there are just as many outdated and, well, misinformed people exercising their right to free speech in the blog world.  Weaving my way through some of the "junk" turned out to be way more time consuming than I had expected. Fortunately the four blogs I found most useful were Free Technology for Teachers, Cool Cat Teacher, Dangerously Irrelevant, and Bellringer.  All of these blogs seemed to have teachers as their intended audience, were written by educators, and were up to date for the most part.

As it turns out, during my quest to discover "good feeds" I also came across several useful websites as suggested by some of the bloggers.  These are sites where I can find detailed lesson plans and other ideas to use in my classroom.  I was also able to bookmark the websites for future (and current) use.

Thing #6 Discovering Web 2.0 Tools

I chose to further explore Wikipedia, a free online interactive encyclopedia.  I chose this site because I have been frequently directed to this site whenever I've searched topics using the google or bing search engines yet I had not taken the time to fully explore the site and discover all it offers. Upon further investigation, I was surprised to discover that each entry has a discussion board where users can talk about the topic and make suggestions for corrections and/or additional information to be added.  I also discovered the many languages available. Although I can appreciate the multiple links provided in each entry, I can see where these tools can also become confusing and cumbersome for students. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

Thing #5 Some Perspectives on Web 2.0/School 2.0 and the Future of Education

As a teacher in Special Education, particularly teaching students in Behavior Support Programs, I am intrigued by the phenom of Web/School 2.0. For me this means new and more engaging ways to accommodate students with learning "different" abilities. My new understanding of Web 2.0 is like going from a one or two dimensional Internet to a fully interactive 3D world of learning. Most middle and high school students are actively involved in social networking sites and some students have admitted to spending more time at home conversing via Facebook than any other activity.  Some common characteristics of students requiring specialized behavior supports are: (1) the student feels the material is not relevant to their lives, (2) an inability to remain focused, and (3) the student fails to accept responsibility for his/her own behaviors.  Utilizing the tools now available via Web 2.0 in educational instruction can help students find relevancy, become more engaged in their learning, and take responsibility for their own education.

I found the following link very useful in helping me identify some key terms (jargon) used by authors as I read the articles and watched the videos as suggested in the Learning 2.0 - 23 Things blogspot:
Tech Learning : Web 2.0 Pocket Dictionary 
http://www.techlearning.com/tech/media-coordinators/0018/web-20-pocket-dictionary/44272

Thing #4 Why commenting is important.

To me commenting on a blog is like responding in a conversation. Have you ever tried to have conversation with someone who just stood there and looked at you with a blank stare? How irritating! Commenting on a blog conveys the message to the person who initiated the blog as well as other readers that the topic is important to someone other than the person blogging and it validates their efforts to share their beliefs and values.

The readings suggested courtesies to implement when commenting to someone's blog post. I can remember reading similar information when I first began using email. It was through this type of medium that I learned that typing in all caps was like screaming or yelling at the reader. I quickly had to implement this practice! I had been screaming at professors and colleagues.

The blog post I chose to respond to are:
LiveLearnMoore - Satricia Moore
FrankE - Frank Moure
Linda Courtney's 23 Things - Linda Courtney
Mr Hirtle Tech Blog - William Hirtle
Samples of Learning - Elizabeth Sample

I chose their blogs to post to because I learned something from each of them.  Linda's "thing 3" post led me to think about using technologies such as blogging to accomodate a student with an anxiety disorder. William's "thing 4" post made me laugh.  He captured my thoughts completely. Elizabeth's "thing 3" post showed me other ways a teacher could possibly use blogging to communicate with students.  I actually responded to someone else who responded to her post.  I responded because I have different ideas on why some parents do not communicate with teachers.

Some of my comments were to affirm my agreement with the blogger, some were to share a different perspective.  Either way leads me into my next topic and the other sites I chose to read and post. 

Thing # 10 Set Up an RSS Reader and Add Feeds

This is the activity I'd been hoping for! Something to minimize the amount of time I have been spending on the internet going to all the different sites checking for updates.  I saw the tab on my computer a long time ago (when you open the favorites bar) I just never ventured to find out what it was for.  This is a life saver for me.  I am also enrolled in an online class this semester and we have to keep up with a discussion board.  This tool just made my life a little bit easier. Now all I have to do is figure out exactly how to get it to work for my online class!

I am not quite ready to share my blogs with the rest of the world though.

Thing #9 Online Image Generators

http://www.imagechef.com/

I used Image Chef to create the images in this post.  I chose this site because creating the images was very easy and fun.  I did have one challenge, I had to create an account before I could copy the images and post them here.  I think these would be fun ways to post messages to my students either on a class web page or blog.  I am also thinking of ways to create an online scrapbook for family and friends.

 

Thing #8 Flickr Mashups

 

http://bighugelabs.com/jigsaw.php

I created this puzzle using the above website.  This "thing" was a bit difficult for me.  I had a hard time trying to figure out how to get the the images to upload to my blog. I tried to create an image using Spell with Flickr but I was unable to post the image.  So, just a heads up, I will be asking my classmates during our next class for help on that.   I am pretty cautious when using the mashups and  other photo sharing sites not to include images of people that include personal geographic information (addresses, landmarks that would help stalkers locate them, etc.)

Thing #7 Explore Flickr

 

For this discovery exercise I chose option 2.  I took these photos at Centennial Park in Nashville earlier this month.  I made certain I didn't take photos of the people's faces not even knowing I would use them for this class.  I did ask permission to take the pictures and explained that I would not show their faces.  As for the trees...I just found them to be interesting. The spoke to me while I was walking through the park.  First, I was taking pictures of the "homeless" then, the trees grabbed my attention.  They (the trees) said to me, "this park is as much their ("homeless") home as it is ours, and we are not homeless, just different."

 

I also spent some time exploring Flickr for other interesting photos.  This is when I realized one of the ways I want to use Flickr in my classroom.  I decided to search for pictures from settings in the stories we will read and share those photos with the class when the story is introduced. 

 

Once I have more free time, I am likely to use Flickr for personal use as well.  I really like the map! I have some personal photos I'd like to upload and share with family and friends places I visited and found interesting.

 

I inadvertently used Photobucket in the past (it was downloaded on my phone and everytime I took a picture with my phone, it automatically uploaded to Photobucket!) This was not at all my preference.  It took hours to figure out how to delete my pictures from the internet and that app from my phone! I prefer Flickr over Photobucket mainly because of the experience I had. I never really explored Photobucket to see what else it had to offer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://www.flickr.com//photos/mshor10/show/

Thing #3 Ways I might use a blog in my future classroom:

Ways I might use a blog in my future classroom:

I have connections to students in South Africa and I plan to use a blog to have students in Clarksville connect and share with students there.  I will be visiting SA soon and I would love to be able to use this tool to keep in touch with the students I currently work with, during my visit.

Thing #2 Creating a Blog and Avatar

Creating a Blog and Avatar:

At first this was different for me.  Mostly because I wasn't sure exactly what a "blog" was about.  The step by step instructions made this process fairly easy.  I had some technical difficulties and needed to ensure my browser settings were appropriate.  The Avatar was the most fun, except I wished there more more variety.  I included a pretty close likeness to myself and shared my love of books with the accessories tool.

Thing #1 7 ½ Habits of Highly Successful Lifelong Learners

7 ½ Habits of Highly Successful Lifelong Learners

The easiest habit for me is Habit 7: Teach/mentor others. I have most often found myself sharing things I've learned with others around me. I am currently a volunteer tutor for the Adult Literacy Council and I am willing to share what I have learned with anyone who needs or wants the information.

The most difficult habit for me is Habit 6: Use technology to your advantage. Hopefully, by the end of this course, this habit along with habit 5, will no longer be a challenge for me. It is most difficult right now because I realize there is a ton of technology available that I am unfamiliar with. Just working on this blog was a completely new experience for me, but its been fun learning!