One Last Thing

Hallelujah. Strike up the band it is over! My favorite part of the 23 things is that it is over. Okay, so there were a couple other things I liked. The Live Binder and Animoto these were the things that really caught my eye. It has been a long road and I am sure there were other thing I liked. However, as usual at the end of a semester you like to see things come to a close. I will take the blogging with me to a classroom but not at a personal thing. I think it will be a wonderful addition to a class website. 

Thing #23

Creative Commons the APSU 23 Things is licensed under  "some rights reserved" .  Creative Commons tells you what you can and can not to do with the 23 Things. You may share it and alter it, but you MUST give credit to the author and may not distribute the work. Creative Commons is a way to allow someone to use you work if you wish and at the same time securing it for being plagiarized. As a teacher I will use Creative commons for my self and at time suggest or require students to do the same. It is a very interesting and useful concept.

Thing #22

WOW! The Live Binders are really neat. I liked the way you could load your own information or have it automatically load, I think it is a great idea for students. It is a good way to give them a stack of electronic information to go through. If you were wanting the students to write on certain subjects you could create a binder and give them the password. I think these was a wonderful thing.

Thing #21

This is a pretty cool tool. I can see future uses for this. It takes your old boring pictures and turns them into a work of art. It would be a great tool for a classroom blog. It was simple to use nothing mind bending (which no one needs at finals time. hehe). This is one 2.0 tool that I could actually see myself paying to upgrade. Well done oh 2.0 guru.

Thing #20 You Tube

I like YouTube there is a lot of good things and some not so good. I would use YouTube in my classroom. I picked the video "Too Late to Apologize: A Declaration" because I really like history and my most recent history professor showed it in class. Music is the way to my heart so, anything that will teach through the use of music is okay in my book. Another site TeacherTube it is really cool because it has a lot of educational videos and school house rock things. 

Thing #19

I think Social networks can be a dangerous thing in the wrong hands. I have a Facebook account but I keep it very guarded. I am from a Las Vegas where you don't trust anyone or they may steal the shirt right off your back. So, okay I have trust issues (haha) but seriously I am very careful of who I add to my Facebook you never know what they might say and the last thing I need is a bad reputation with a principle over something I didn't do. Now something I like is IMDB have you ever sat there watching a movie thinking "who is that" until it makes you crazier then you already are. So, go to IMDB and look up the movie and wa-la there it is that person whose name is making you crazy. Go forth and conquer (really you gotta check it out).

Thing #18

I think as an educator it is important to know what is out there which your students are being exposed too. I have had a Facebook account as well as Twitter for quite some time; however, I rarely use Twitter and as for Facebook I use that to stay connected with family and friends who live else where. When it comes to social networking I feel one has to remain very guarded and not open yourself up to just anyone. When I think about the application of either of these in my classroom I am undecided. As an educator there might be a use to stay connected with other educators. When it comes to students I don't think they have a place on Facebook with in the elementary grades as for Twitter the only use I could see if tweeting assignments or reminders but not every student has access to a computer or cell phone. Therefore, the jury is still out when considering these in classrooms.

Thing #17 Something Not so delicious

Well after playing with Delicious I can't really see a use for it. I found it quite un-user friendly and confusing. As for using it in my classroom I can't see doing that either since, my focus is K-6 and I would never want them searching for something and getting a really bad result. Not something I want to try and explain my self out of to parents or administration.

Thing #16

This thing was fairly easy to complete. I already use iGoogle and I LOVE IT! I can customize it with my own photos and arrange the widgets to my interests. Since thing #6 I have been using Remember The Milk which I think is wonderful. When it comes to the to-do-list I like my Sticky notes. I post them on my desktop since I look at my computer several times in a day they are great reminders. 


I would recommend Remember The Milk to everyone. You can add tasks from you iGoogle home page and access the list from your phone. Seems to me it is the perfect fit to a busy life.

Thing #15

I found it very interesting to see how much information is shared on a Wiki. I think one could create a wiki for their classroom and list daily assignments and classroom expectations. Then the wiki could be attached to your classroom web site. This would allow one who may teach different grade levels to post the individual requirement per class period. For instance, if you were going to be a Theatre teacher you would teach different grade levels within one day so, there would be item which were universal between classes and items which only pertained to certain grades. 


Where I can see the possibility for sharing information, I keep going back to what nearly every professor I have had keeps saying "Don't use wiki's they are not reliable information". So, that being said; to me that is the most interesting idea about the concept. We are investigating the many possibilities wiki's hold yet being told not to access them for reliable information. Things that make you go Hmmmmm.

Thing #14

Exploration of Bubbl.us (Mind Map) and Griffy (Flowchart). While exploring and comparing these two applications the biggest difference to me was the technical aspects. Mind maps were more of a thought process brainstorming if you will and flowcharts were very technical. 


I could see the possibility for both within the classroom. I could use the mind map and create single lesson plans, one mind map for each topic with leaders of what needs to be discussed. As for flowcharts I can see myself using them for creating a weekly lesson plan. Since my concentration is K-6 and I will teach a little bit of everthing per day I could use them to map out an entire day. Maybe like this; if you are finished with science then go to the math mind map and if you are finished with math then go to social studies. 

Thing #13 The Zoho Writer vs. Goolge Docs Smackdown!

When I started this task my mind set was no competition I love Google Docs. Then I started rethinking that state of mind. I really do like things about the Zoho Writer. At times it seemed straight forward and it is esthetically pleasing. Then came the doom and gloom of trying to share something WOW No. No. NO! that will make you pull out your hair. So, totally frustrated going to take 5 and come tackle this from a different angle.

Ahhh... a sigh of relief, back to the beloved Google Docs and familiar territory. OH look! it's  My Google Doc  and I didn't pull out one hair trying to create a link.

So, after the delibrating the jury says "Google Doc's wins" Zoho is workable with more time spent I am sure things would come together. But Google is known for its accomplishments and I am sure it is not going to let some other online document creator come and steal it thunder.

 I can see the potential for creating online documents in the classroom. There is many times in which a teacher will ask students to collaborate then give them little time to do so. Sharing is a perfect world for this. Students can collaborate on their project and share it with each other without actually having to ask parents to run them hither and yon or trying to find a time they are all available to actually completed the assignment.

Thing #12

Google has always been my browser of choice. I like the way iGoogle is customizable you can even upload your own picture. I just used one of the choice they provide. 

With iGoogle I was able to set the weather, add new daily recipes, add the New York Times, add Music news, and get the TV guide. ( I know that is old fashioned) 

The other google feature that I like is the translator. That is good for use in the classroom. I could bring in news clippings from foreign news agencies and we could translate them to see what is going on around the world. Also, it could be used to help in a foreign language class.

 

Thing #11

My favorite search was topix.net. I like the fact that it was news based and I was able to find the New York Times there which is my favorite news feed. Google search was easy to navigate and contained feeds of more general interest. My least favorite was Syndic8. I found the layout poor and hard to navigate. During my search the only news feed that I added was the New York Times.

Thing #10

The RSS feeds were a welcome relief after the grueling Flikr escapade. I enjoyed searching through the different topics looking for something which I felt would be of use and not totally entertaining. Most of the feeds that I chose were to keep me in touch with current teaching discussions and events in todays education system. I feel these feeds can enhance the knowledge of aspiring teachers as well as current professionals. Technology is a powerful thing. The following are the RSS feeds that I subscribed to: 
Lesson Planet Articles
Trivia Games at Sporcle
Free Technology for Teachers
Psychology Today
Blog
The World's Healthiest Foods

Thing #9

Thing #9 was cool but time consuming. I am not one to just sit and play with the computer. If I was searching for a way to jazz up my picture I would recommend
http://www.imagechef.com/. There is a lot to take in on this site, and other sites I tried didn't contain the quality that imagechef does, and I wasting a lot of time getting errors on other sites. I could see the potential in this site to use it as a classroom tool to get a point across creatively and I like the fact that I didn't have to become a member to use it. So,I would say two thumbs up to image chef and a big thanks for making up for all the Flickr issues.

Thing #8 "more Flickr business still not so sure"

So, on thing 8 and all this Flickr business I am still not sure this is for me. Jumping from web page to web page chasing my tail like a squirrel after a acorn rolling downhill. I am feverishly looking for which site I go to and where I get the URL to upload .. Flickr, Big huge labs, back and forth. Not my kind of fun. Blogging now there is a place I can see an educational use but Flickr and all this other business associated with it....hmmm.. I am still not convinced. With one more photos and imaging post to go we will see if this old dog can learn a new trick; however, don't hold your breath.

Thing #7 "To flickr or not to flickr..... Yikes"

I have never used any other photo hosting services like flicker. I found the use of Flicker strange and confusing at times so, I am very undecided if I will use this type of service for my classroom since I didn't find it very easy to use. Perhaps the ease of use will come with practice but for now I am skeptical about that. The photo I uploaded is one of my favorite photography moments and is not personal in nature; therefore, the thought of it being viewed publicly doesn't bother me. However, if it were one of my children I would have different thoughts about that. So, time will only tell if I change my mind about Flicker but for now here is my masterpiece. LOL.

Thing #6

Now this is a site for me Remember the Milk. Between children, family and school I found this site the best thing since sliced apples. I can't deny that Flicker, Skype and many other are not interesting or cool but, with an increasingly busy life this is my kinda thing.  Check this out there is a tab for nearly everything. They just need a kids tab and it would be perfect LOL.


My other favorite is Pandora it tailors itself to your music likes and dislikes. I love my music and it is wonderful how you can listen to so many genres from Symphonic to Rock. 

Thing #5

"School 2 .0 WOW!" What a plethora of information just sitting around patiently waiting to be accessed. To me school 2 .0 is a great way to enhance a classroom and grab the ever-waning interest of students. The technology dependence within our everyday lives has created a need for more artificial interaction. I believe if you can get students to interact by any means from cell phones to games, as a teacher this is our future path to success. Please don't misunderstand me. I am not suggesting technology should take over the classroom and take our place; however, it should be used as an incentive to get the students from point A to point B. Email is already in use in some classrooms as an avenue to reach parents with school announcements and daily assignments. So, as teachers we should embrace technology for someday holographic images of Thomas Jefferson or Johann Sebastian Bach may visit our classroom and tell the students about there worldly achievements.  

Thing #4

     One small comment can open a door for interaction between you and your comment and the blogger who may in this instance be a fellow student, colleague, or possibly even your professor. This is one simple act that lets the blogger know they are not alone in their thoughts whether you agree or disagree. Debate can be a healthy thing and allows people to see how other people view a topic. 
     When I read the blogger comment resources listed a couple really inspired me. The first was Problogger on how to increase comments. The blog suggested you could make a person feel invited to leave comment, which triggers a response and how it is important to interact with the comments that are left. I also enjoyed Coolcat Teacher and the suggestion of adding in a hyperlink if you are referencing a topic that other readers maybe unaware of.


I am following these class mates:

• Global Connection
• Han Solo and CdeBaca
• Pertl's Progress
• Rocky Watters and Smooth La...
• Shay's Stuff
• 
  

    (I will revisit the rest of thing #4 in the near future)

Thing #3

     As a teaching professional I would use a blog in conjunction with our classroom website. Student would be able to comment on daily activities and post topics within social studies they would like to discuss. As a class we could create a blog about little known people in history and places we want to learn more about. Within my teaching education program I would use a blog as a journal of my progress, frustrations and good times. Blogging is a useful way to get your ideas out to a group of people with common interests.
   

Thing #2

     I believe in expressing yourself; therefore, my posting name expresses my passion for horses (Equinelvr), and my blog name signifies what the blog is about (23 Things by LBarth: My adventure in Technology Learning).  I feel that both my posting and blog names tell something about me. I tend to have a no nonsense approach in most things I do. When I am working with my horses, nonsense can equal danger and when it comes to the education of others and myself nonsense is generally not tolerated. I guess this falls into the 7 1/2 habits under not taking enough time to play. 
     Creating the blog and avatar was a new experience, for me that seemed easy yet I became confused at times; blog address, blog names & posting names OH MY!  What does each of one do? Thank goodness for teenage daughters. When I tried to move my avatar to the blog I miss read the directions and struggled for a bit, but I can say I now understand the blogging process and the lingo. 
     I created my avatar as a reflection of myself, because I am comfortable with who I am. I dressed it in comfortable casual clothing you would wear for outside activities and accessorized it with a dog since my Bassett Hound is always at my side.

Thing #1

    I am often asked, "Why do you aspire to be a teacher?". I answer, "I have a passion for learning and passing the information on to others." When I think teacher, I think life long learner. To be an effective teacher one would require constant learning, and seeking out new information to keep your students up to date would be essential.
    Hmmm..... Let me think about the 7 1/2 habits for a minute. Self-assessment is not always an easy task. The 7 1/2 habits seem to be fairly easy task to accomplish. Whenever I begin a major project the natural thing for me to do is set a goal. I always take responsibility for my learning (since I am the one responsible for learning) and view problems as new challenges. However, I find myself having to work harder to achieve adequate confidence and I never take enough time to play. Therefore, my final goal is to work on my confidence level and take time out to play.
    So far I am off to a good start, the hardest part of creating the blog was selecting posting and blog names. I am looking forward to creating a toolbox that will enable me to gain a deeper understanding of current and future technology, so I may challenge those I teach and mentor. I feel that students apply themselves when a subject intrigues them and the way to do this is through technology-based learning.