To blog or not to blog.....well I'm not sure if I will keep up my blog or not. I think I would really enjoy posting about everything I learned in my classes. It would also help me keep track of what all I am learning since I would be putting it into writing for the world to read. However, knowing me, I will probably forget and go several weeks without posting. Who knows, keep an eye out because I might be the next cool cat teacher!
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Last but Not Least! :)
Some of my favorite "things" were things # 21, 9, and 8. I love doing creative things like this, and it's even better that I now know how to use them for a classroom! However, all the "things" together have really effected my ideas for a future classroom. I now realize just how many free and easy resources are available at my fingertips that will help me to create a great learning environment for all of my students. I never thought I would ever enjoy learning about and doing some of the exercises that we had to do, but since I had to think about how they would actually be used in a classroom setting, they seemed worthwhile. I plan to continue to use my RSS feed to stay up-to-date on current and trendy web 2.0 tools that truly work in a classroom setting.
To blog or not to blog.....well I'm not sure if I will keep up my blog or not. I think I would really enjoy posting about everything I learned in my classes. It would also help me keep track of what all I am learning since I would be putting it into writing for the world to read. However, knowing me, I will probably forget and go several weeks without posting. Who knows, keep an eye out because I might be the next cool cat teacher!
To blog or not to blog.....well I'm not sure if I will keep up my blog or not. I think I would really enjoy posting about everything I learned in my classes. It would also help me keep track of what all I am learning since I would be putting it into writing for the world to read. However, knowing me, I will probably forget and go several weeks without posting. Who knows, keep an eye out because I might be the next cool cat teacher!
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Thing #23!!!!!!!!
The first thing that I realized that signaled that this was not an original work was the statement on the first page of the 23 Things Blog: "*Note: This project is loosely based upon the website 43Things (which allows you to set and track personal goals) and the Stephen Abram article titled 43 Things I (or You) might want to do this year (Information Outlook - Feb 2006). " It also states under the thing #23 that it is under a creative commons license. These both give credit to the first people to come up with this idea. I can see me using something to teach my students copyright in my classroom because it is such an important topic. I would never want any of my students to get in trouble for stealing ideas that weren't their's. I will probably make a worksheet for them to follow so they can learn more about copyright and possibly have special games about "stealing" that would be more kid friendly.
Thing #22
I made three binders titled Technology to Use in a Classroom, Special Education, and Good Teaching Resources. I could see using the binder sites if I was planning lessons out for several weeks for my classes. I could create several binders for each subject and then I would have all of my resources at a click of a mouse. The only thing I really did not like about the online binders, is the fact that I kept getting confused on how to do certain things. It is pretty straight forward for the most part but sometime things, such as figuring out how to put a image and a video on a page, is hard or impossible. I also got really frustrated when trying to embed my binder because it wasn't working right, and when I tried making it public the direction on the help menu were wrong. If I had a upper grade class, I would have my students keep up with their research paper cites and information in a binder. I would also have them place their paper in it and submit the binder as a whole. However, I think this might get confusing for the lower grades I am wanting to teach.
My Binder #1
My Binder #1
Friday, December 2, 2011
Thing #21
Untitled Project
This is probably one of my favorite "things" so far. I loved making this video and will probably end up making several more. At first I uploaded way too many pictures and couldn't figure out how to chose just the ones I wanted to be in my video, so I had to start over. But once I got it I loved it. When I'm a teacher, and if I make a lot of slideshows, I might end up paying the $5 a month to get the full length videos. Enjoy!
Thing #20
I had so much fun searching videos on YouTube. I always find something useful or funny on there every time I look. I like how I can pretty much find anything I want on there and for safety sake there are some videos that are blocked unless you're over 18. The video I found that I liked the most stars one of my childhood favorite characters....good ol' Goofy. I thought it was hilarious and some of it very true. Although I'm hoping I'll be able to keep my classroom in better order, it still shows that with kids you have to be ready for EVERYTHING! It also show how much a teacher has to do in a humorous way. There is a lot on here that would be of use on a library website, including anatomy, language arts, math, and all sorts of other instructional videos. And the best part about YouTube is that it is free, always a plus for a teacher.
Thing #19
Visit TeacherPop
Right now my online communities consist of the groups I am apart of on Facebook. I am not really apart of too many other communities, but I am sure I will be soon. I really like the craft one because I love doing crafts and I think that there is some great classroom activities on it. Yelp would also be good if I was trying to plan a fun field trip for my students. I joined the TeacherPop and was able to read through and comment on a few peoples' posts. I think this could be a great place if people continue to post ideas and projects for teachers. I love exploring these sites and getting ideas for my future classroom. Before this class I had no idea how many resources were available to help teachers create the best possible classroom.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Thing #18
I have actually enjoyed having my facebook for a couple of years now. It has really allowed me to follow various groups that post about education stuff and photography. I have learned a lot from the different people and groups I follow. I liked the College of Education a while back so I could keep up with the things going on in my college. I think it is important for educators to know how to and use a social networking site to keep up with other people in the field and get ideas from them. I don't think I really gained anything more from looking at these sites because I have used them all in the past at some point. I really love facebook because it is so easy to use and to keep up with everyone. It's allowing you to post statuses, photos, and create groups can all be very useful features. I am still not sure how I feel about twitter..... I can see using both sites for classroom use. Probably, though I hate to admit it, the twitter would work better for a classroom because you could follow more educators. However, I do like facebook the best.
Thing #17
When I was in high school, one of my teachers had a Delicious and shared her information with several different teachers. I had never really heard of the site again until now. I could see myself using either this site or Diigo to bookmark all of my pages, as of now I am not sure which one I like better. I love having all my bookmarks with me everywhere I go instead of just on my computer where they are very unorganized. When I typed in "Educational Technologies" many tagged pages come up that could be very helpful for a teacher. I saw all the other tags people had placed on the page, however I could not find the comments.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Thing #16
I chose to use IGooge for my start page simply because it is very easy and user-friendly. I love how I can put fun apps on my IGoogle, such as cartoons and optical illusions. I will probably end up putting it as my start page so I can have everything in one place and have Google already open if I need it. I really enjoyed this, however, I don't think it's something that will be life changing.
I chose to use the calendar created by Google. I loved it because there was so much that could be done with the calendar. I was able to color code my different things such as classes, workshops, fun stuff, and other. I thought it was really nice that you could view various calendar options such as the 4 day, week, day, month, and agenda. It also allows you to edit your event and invite others to join the event and have the option to add to it. You can also use keyboard shortcuts, which I love, to view the different modes including 4 for 4 day and m for month. If you needed a calender for different thing, lets say one for work and one for school, the Google calendar gives you that option. It's also very user friendly, especially since most people enjoy using Google.
One thing I'm always doing is creating to-do lists, however I always seem to loose them because they are just on notebook paper. I love the idea of having a to-do list online. I really liked the Remember the Milk to-do lists, mainly because of the cute cow.....well other things were great about it too. I really liked how it had a different list for personal stuff, study, and work. You could also customize each thing on the list with when it's due, where, and so on. It also gives you a little pat on the back when you finish all the things on a list. The only problem with this is that I would have to access it on either a computer or smart phone, and I don't have a smart phone and I don't want to carry my laptop with me everywhere. This could be a very helpful tool, however sometime you cannot beat the good old fashion paper lists.
One tool that I have had a little bit of experience with is engrade. The last year I was at my home school enrichment they were just starting to use this web 2.0 tool. Most of my teachers never used it for that first year however, so I did not find out too much about it until now. The number one thing about it is that it is free. Teachers can track attendance, grades, homework, send messages, and so much more. It gives the students a way to keep up with their grades. Parents can also keep a check on their kids.
I chose to use the calendar created by Google. I loved it because there was so much that could be done with the calendar. I was able to color code my different things such as classes, workshops, fun stuff, and other. I thought it was really nice that you could view various calendar options such as the 4 day, week, day, month, and agenda. It also allows you to edit your event and invite others to join the event and have the option to add to it. You can also use keyboard shortcuts, which I love, to view the different modes including 4 for 4 day and m for month. If you needed a calender for different thing, lets say one for work and one for school, the Google calendar gives you that option. It's also very user friendly, especially since most people enjoy using Google.
One thing I'm always doing is creating to-do lists, however I always seem to loose them because they are just on notebook paper. I love the idea of having a to-do list online. I really liked the Remember the Milk to-do lists, mainly because of the cute cow.....well other things were great about it too. I really liked how it had a different list for personal stuff, study, and work. You could also customize each thing on the list with when it's due, where, and so on. It also gives you a little pat on the back when you finish all the things on a list. The only problem with this is that I would have to access it on either a computer or smart phone, and I don't have a smart phone and I don't want to carry my laptop with me everywhere. This could be a very helpful tool, however sometime you cannot beat the good old fashion paper lists.
One tool that I have had a little bit of experience with is engrade. The last year I was at my home school enrichment they were just starting to use this web 2.0 tool. Most of my teachers never used it for that first year however, so I did not find out too much about it until now. The number one thing about it is that it is free. Teachers can track attendance, grades, homework, send messages, and so much more. It gives the students a way to keep up with their grades. Parents can also keep a check on their kids.
Thing #15
Before this assignment I have always thought of a wiki as a place to stay away from. My professors have always warned against getting reliable information from a wiki because anyone can put anything. However, after this project I now know that wikis can be used in so many more ways than to give poor information for that next big research project you are doing. I think it's really cool how than can be used to collaberate with others on a big project or something of the sort. It would be a ton easier than email, since even just a couple of days ago my family and I had a hard time communicating about what to do for Thanksgiving over email.
Thing #14
I really liked using Gliffy to make a flow chart. It was really easy to use and edit if you made a mistake while making your flowchart. I made a simple chart of how to create a black and white print from film, I left off some steps but what I did create only took a few minutes. The site did tell me I only had 30 days to try it out before I would have to set up an account and pay, the cheapest one was around $5 a month. As of now it would not be worth the money, however if I start needing it as a teaching tool it would probably be worth it because of its ease of use.
I also tried out mindmeister for making mindmaps. It was fairly easy to use also, although it wanted to charge me if I made over 3 mindmaps. I started one over a paper that I have due soon in my SPED 3000 class. The map reminds me of a spider in appearance. I also reminds me of in my English classes when I would have to use a bubble chart to come up with ideas for various papers.
The biggest difference I noticed between flow charts and mindmaps was what they would be used for. A flowchart would more likely be used if a teacher needed students to follow directions. However, a mindmap would more likely be used if the teacher was trying to give his/her students ideas for certain projects.
I also tried out mindmeister for making mindmaps. It was fairly easy to use also, although it wanted to charge me if I made over 3 mindmaps. I started one over a paper that I have due soon in my SPED 3000 class. The map reminds me of a spider in appearance. I also reminds me of in my English classes when I would have to use a bubble chart to come up with ideas for various papers.
The biggest difference I noticed between flow charts and mindmaps was what they would be used for. A flowchart would more likely be used if a teacher needed students to follow directions. However, a mindmap would more likely be used if the teacher was trying to give his/her students ideas for certain projects.
Thing #13
I explored both sites but Google, yet again, has triumphed over the other tool in my mind yet again. It was so much easier for me to find out how to put information in it than the Zoho writer. I honestly kept getting frustrated while using Zoho. In Google docs I made a document for parents to go to if they wanting to sign up for a Thanksgiving Day party at the school. It was so easy to make and actually pretty fun. I can really see how students would be able to collaborate on projects using Google Docs. They could even do an entire power point together online without ever having to meet up in person. This would be great if students were unable to meet up during the week for a group project.
Both programs offer many options for groups and individuals. Both can be completely free. I preferred Google Docs. I mainly like how easy it is to navigate Google Docs vs. Zoho. However, I believe if I really wanted to figure it out I would also really like Zoho.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Thing #12
The two Google tools I chose to explore were translate and IGoogle. In google translate I translated something that I might say at the beginning of class, "Hello class. Today we will be reading a story about a little girl and her dog. Please pay attention because we will be choosing characters to react the story tomorrow." I translated it into Swedish, " Hej klass. Idag kommer vi att läsa en berättelse om en liten flicka och hennes hund. Vänligen uppmärksamma att vi kommer att välja tecken för att reagera på historien i morgon." I could see myself using this if I ever have a child in my class whose primary language isn't English. If they have a word that they do not know in English I would be able to type in the word in their language and translate it into English for them.
The other tool I used, IGoogle, is really neat because the user can customize their page to their liking. I added a few fun gadgets such as a comic strip with two of my favorite comics and an optical illusion slide show. Even though these two things wouldn't necessarily be used for my teaching career, they would serve a little stress reliever if I had a hard day. One thing I really like is the to-do list. I make paper to-do lists all the time, and half the time I end up loosing them before I finish completing everything on them. With this to-day list I don't have to worry about loosing it, therefor I will be able to complete everything on my list. I also like how I can keep up with the weather. This would be a help with anything from picking out my outfit for the day to knowing whether or not my class would be able to do certain outdoor activities.
The other tool I used, IGoogle, is really neat because the user can customize their page to their liking. I added a few fun gadgets such as a comic strip with two of my favorite comics and an optical illusion slide show. Even though these two things wouldn't necessarily be used for my teaching career, they would serve a little stress reliever if I had a hard day. One thing I really like is the to-do list. I make paper to-do lists all the time, and half the time I end up loosing them before I finish completing everything on them. With this to-day list I don't have to worry about loosing it, therefor I will be able to complete everything on my list. I also like how I can keep up with the weather. This would be a help with anything from picking out my outfit for the day to knowing whether or not my class would be able to do certain outdoor activities.
Thing #11
The easiest method I found to find blogs was Google Blog Search. Since most people are used to using Google to answer nearly every problem they have, I think that it would be the easiest blog finder for nearly anyone. One blog I found that I thought would be important while I was using the Google Blog Search was Special Education Law Blog. I think having this site will help me to stay up to date on the laws I will have to deal with when I am a Special Education Teacher.
I also kind of like Technorati. Although it wasn't as simple as Google, I really like how the user could choose between searching for actually blogs or blog posts. By using this I found a pretty interesting cite about special education called Teaching All Students.There were also several other blogs that I could have subscribed to that I found through this finder, including Riley's Smile. An interesting blog that I found that nearly made me laugh out loud when I read the title was Life, Ninja Killer Cat and Everything Else. This blog has some pretty funny stuff to keep the reader laughing, however it also has a lot of serious information about Autism.
The site that I found most confusing, or more so annoying, was Topix. When I went to the cite it took me a little bit to find where I could search and when I clicked on it a spam survey popped up. I am afraid to use this site too much just in case if it gives my computer a virus. I didn't bother trying to look too much farther to find a blog that I liked using it. I also felt the same about Syndic8.
I also found a program that you could look up blogs but it seemed pretty complected even though it says it's supposed to be easy. One list I found seemed to have a lot of promis for a special education teacher, 50 Best Blogs for Special Education Teachers. Overall I thought this was a pretty useful assignment in order to help me find blogs that will help me in my career.
I also kind of like Technorati. Although it wasn't as simple as Google, I really like how the user could choose between searching for actually blogs or blog posts. By using this I found a pretty interesting cite about special education called Teaching All Students.There were also several other blogs that I could have subscribed to that I found through this finder, including Riley's Smile. An interesting blog that I found that nearly made me laugh out loud when I read the title was Life, Ninja Killer Cat and Everything Else. This blog has some pretty funny stuff to keep the reader laughing, however it also has a lot of serious information about Autism.
The site that I found most confusing, or more so annoying, was Topix. When I went to the cite it took me a little bit to find where I could search and when I clicked on it a spam survey popped up. I am afraid to use this site too much just in case if it gives my computer a virus. I didn't bother trying to look too much farther to find a blog that I liked using it. I also felt the same about Syndic8.
I also found a program that you could look up blogs but it seemed pretty complected even though it says it's supposed to be easy. One list I found seemed to have a lot of promis for a special education teacher, 50 Best Blogs for Special Education Teachers. Overall I thought this was a pretty useful assignment in order to help me find blogs that will help me in my career.
Thing #10
Well I realized something pretty cool today when I went to sign up for a Google Reader, I somehow already have an account and it has been keeping up with the blogs I have been subscribing to on my Blogger. Needless to say I can't really blog about how the application process was "so easy" or anything because for me it was so easy I didn't even have to sign up!
I love following blogs, although the only blogs I had been following before this class had to do with photography. Now I have a list of blogs I follow (other than in people in our class) including A Year of Reading, Digital Anthology, Mrs. Cassidy's Classroom Blog, Cool Cat Teacher, Ryan Towe Photography, and The Pioneer Woman. I think I will be able to use this feature to easily follow all my blogs at once instead of going to each one individually and, knowing me, forgetting about certain ones. I'm really excited about this new discovery that I didn't know I had because I always have a hard time keeping up with the various things that I follow, now they will be conveniently located all together.
I really think this would be a great thing for teachers to take advantage of because it's quick and easy to set up (so quick and easy that I didn't even have to actually sign up!). A teacher can follow other teachers with similar issues or who are teaching the same subject and see all of their ideas together in one place. This would allow the teacher to easily compare the different information and decide on what they want to apply to their classroom.
I plan to use this in my classroom so I can stay up to date on new information and techniques in my career as a teacher. I can also use it in my side job as a photographer to stay up to date on the latest photo trends and software. Nobody likes it when someone who is in charge is stuck in the "olden" days! Staying up to date is very important if someone wants to succeed, and I want to have a very successful career. I know keeping up with my newly found Google Reader will help me achieve this goal.
I love following blogs, although the only blogs I had been following before this class had to do with photography. Now I have a list of blogs I follow (other than in people in our class) including A Year of Reading, Digital Anthology, Mrs. Cassidy's Classroom Blog, Cool Cat Teacher, Ryan Towe Photography, and The Pioneer Woman. I think I will be able to use this feature to easily follow all my blogs at once instead of going to each one individually and, knowing me, forgetting about certain ones. I'm really excited about this new discovery that I didn't know I had because I always have a hard time keeping up with the various things that I follow, now they will be conveniently located all together.
I really think this would be a great thing for teachers to take advantage of because it's quick and easy to set up (so quick and easy that I didn't even have to actually sign up!). A teacher can follow other teachers with similar issues or who are teaching the same subject and see all of their ideas together in one place. This would allow the teacher to easily compare the different information and decide on what they want to apply to their classroom.
I plan to use this in my classroom so I can stay up to date on new information and techniques in my career as a teacher. I can also use it in my side job as a photographer to stay up to date on the latest photo trends and software. Nobody likes it when someone who is in charge is stuck in the "olden" days! Staying up to date is very important if someone wants to succeed, and I want to have a very successful career. I know keeping up with my newly found Google Reader will help me achieve this goal.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Thing #9
I really liked the site that I created my last image on called Image Chef. Instead of just added a quotation bubble to an image, I was actually able to create a sign. I could see myself using this sign (of course I would add my student's faces instead of a dog's) if we were learning about western times or reading a western story. I could put them up all over the classroom to make the students feel as if they were part of a western town. There were also so many other things I could use on that website including a word mosaic and a poetry blender. I am so glad I was able to find these sites, because I really doubt I would have trusted them if they had not been on the 23 things. Doing this project has made me even more excited to decorate a classroom and do special fun projects with my future students.
Thing #8
I feel it is okay to share images online and that it allows other people to get great ideas or use images that they would not have had access to any other way. However, being a beginning photography I know the issues people face when others simply take their images without paying. It is similar to taking songs without paying. Also with nearly anyone able to somehow take an image off of a web page, it is important to watch what you put on your own site if you create one when your a teacher. I would hate for anything to happen to one of my students because of a photo I posted of them online. With common sense and some parent permission, I think sharing photos online is a great way to keep up with the people around you.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Thing #7
I actually got a Flickr account a while ago for my photography, however I have not added anything to it in who knows how long. Adding a few images to my Flickr again was actually pretty fun. It's fun to get your work out there or allow other people to see images of things that interest you. I am not sure if I will use Flickr in my classroom or another photo sharing program. I guess it really depends on what is popular when I start teaching. I will probably try to start using it again for my beginning photography business so I can get my name out to more people and photographers like me.
I have not really used other photo hosting services. I mainly use my Facebook page to share my photos right now but I know that when I get my own classroom and I am wanting to share pictures with the parents of what our class has done, I will have to use something solely dedicated to pictures. I know that I will have to be careful about what photos I share of my students to protect their privacy, that is why I will probably do more research on more private photo sharing sites if I end up needing one for my students. I love photography and I would enjoy applying it to my classroom and being able to share the photos with the family of my students. I would then be able to combine my passion for photography and teaching, which would be my dream come true.
I have not really used other photo hosting services. I mainly use my Facebook page to share my photos right now but I know that when I get my own classroom and I am wanting to share pictures with the parents of what our class has done, I will have to use something solely dedicated to pictures. I know that I will have to be careful about what photos I share of my students to protect their privacy, that is why I will probably do more research on more private photo sharing sites if I end up needing one for my students. I love photography and I would enjoy applying it to my classroom and being able to share the photos with the family of my students. I would then be able to combine my passion for photography and teaching, which would be my dream come true.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Thing #6
I am constantly sending large files, whether they are photographs or documents. With a regular email it can take hours to sent a large file, which can be very frustrating when you are low on time. Yousendit allows you to upload and share large files quickly and easily. I really like how user friendly it it. I was able to sign up for an account and start sending files that would have originally taken at least 10 minutes to load, in only a minute. The free account lets you send up to 50 MB. The only thing negative I can say about the free account is that you can't track your files to see if anyone received them. This could lead to a bad situation. However, if I was I had to track them I could simply upgrade my account for a total of $120 a year.
I could see myself using this Web 2.0 tool if I needed to send pictures of certain school events to the parents. I could also send other files such as stories, homework, and other large files. By using Yousendit, I will be able to keep the parents involved by sending them photos and possibly even newsletters quickly. I will also be able to save time worrying about emailing files, and spend more time preparing to teach my students.
I could see myself using this Web 2.0 tool if I needed to send pictures of certain school events to the parents. I could also send other files such as stories, homework, and other large files. By using Yousendit, I will be able to keep the parents involved by sending them photos and possibly even newsletters quickly. I will also be able to save time worrying about emailing files, and spend more time preparing to teach my students.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Thing #5
Last year I attended one of the largest county fairs in Tennessee and I loved walking around the little makeshift village that was complete with everything from an old fashion mill to an old school house. I went into the schoolhouse with two of my little brother and the lady there had us sit down and do a little lesson like they would have back then while she told us a little bit about how a school used to be ran. I could hardly believe what I was hearing as she went through the rules and procedures that they used to follow. I mean look at the schools now, instead of a blackboard there are interactive smartboards, computers instead of paper or flat rocks, and technology instead of well...nothing. It is amazing to see the difference in the education system then and now, and how something that they would have never dreamt about, Web 2.0, is being Incorporated in many classrooms today.
School 2.0 means a various things to me. First I think that incorporating Web 2.0 into the children's curriculum is a great thing, after all we live in a technical world so the children will need to learn to work it for most jobs they will encounter in their future. I think that schools could take it too far, however, if they forget to keep some of the basics, such as if students do not write on actually paper as much then how will America's handwriting look 50 years from now? I know that might not be a very good example but I think the education system should still consider things like this. In the future I believe students could be doing their homework and reading their texts on IPads or something even more advanced. The school system might not even bother purchasing textbooks anymore and move to an all digital class.
One of the articles I read mentioned how technology is basically second nature to kids nowadays. The Wiki article talked about what Web 2.0, its history, and how it is used. I never realized until this class that I was participating in Web 2.0 by using places such as Facebook and Yahoo to add stuff to the Internet. The video The Machine is Us/ing Us really overwhelmed. Overall it's just amazing to me how far technology has come for the education system.
School 2.0 means a various things to me. First I think that incorporating Web 2.0 into the children's curriculum is a great thing, after all we live in a technical world so the children will need to learn to work it for most jobs they will encounter in their future. I think that schools could take it too far, however, if they forget to keep some of the basics, such as if students do not write on actually paper as much then how will America's handwriting look 50 years from now? I know that might not be a very good example but I think the education system should still consider things like this. In the future I believe students could be doing their homework and reading their texts on IPads or something even more advanced. The school system might not even bother purchasing textbooks anymore and move to an all digital class.
One of the articles I read mentioned how technology is basically second nature to kids nowadays. The Wiki article talked about what Web 2.0, its history, and how it is used. I never realized until this class that I was participating in Web 2.0 by using places such as Facebook and Yahoo to add stuff to the Internet. The video The Machine is Us/ing Us really overwhelmed. Overall it's just amazing to me how far technology has come for the education system.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Thing #4
Like a car needs gas to keep it running, a blogger needs comments to keep up their enthusiasm to blog. If bloggers are continuously writing blog posts but not getting any comments, they will not be able to gear their blogs to their readers. With commenting bloggers and their readers can really get to know each other and be able to help each other. One thing that I have not really thought about is how you become a part of the blogger’s life when you comment on their posts. In Vicki Davis' blog she tells how she feels like she’s gotten to know people either through their comments or through people commenting on her posts. I have always just thought that the reader gets to know the bloggers, but that the bloggers never really gets to know their audience on a more personal level. Another thing that I found important was to watch out for “DC” or “Darth Commenter.” As a blogger one has to truly know why they are blogging and be willing to accept a bad comment every now and then. It is also important to try to not be that “DC” by commenting negative things on fellow bloggers’ blogs.
The first blog I chose to follow was Kelsey Gardner's blog. The biggest reason I chose to follow her blog is actually because 1. we are roommates and 2. because I really like the creative ideas she has when it comes to education. I commented on her "Thing #9" because it was one of my favorite things from this half of the project and I really thought her creations were fun for a classroom setting.
The second blog I chose to follow was Brandi Reed's blog. I chose her blog because I really liked a lot of her ideas she had when it came to using technology in the classroom. A lot of the tools she chose to explore and post about where different than mine, so I was able to learn more about the other applications before trying them out. I commented on her "Thing #8" because I thought the idea of making a collage with Flickr was a great idea, especially if a teacher is making a poster for the classroom wall.
The third class blog I chose to follow and comment on was Mallory Stewart's blog. Because she is a good friend of mine and I enjoy reading someone's posts who I will probably be going through a lot of education classes with in the future. I really think it's important to form a relationship with people in your same field so that away you can share ideas. I chose to comment on her "Thing #11" because we both pretty much had the same feeling about the tools we can use to search for blogs. We both really loved Google's search tool but did not care so much for Synic8.com.
The fourth blog I chose to follow and comment on was Jessi Wright's blog. What really drew me into her blog was that she had a different blog title that everything else. Just from her title I could tell she would probably have fun posts. I chose to comment on her "Thing #7" because it really looked like she took a lot of time to post all of the pictures on it. I also thought her idea of using Flickr to show students images from around the world was great and something I had never thought of doing.
Last but not least, the final blog I chose to comment on from Education 2030 was Bletlea Apple's blog. To start with I really loved her blog layout and all the polka dots since I am a major polka dot fan. But aside from that I can tell she puts a lot of thought into her blog posts. I chose to comment on her "Thing #8" because the tool she chose to use is one that I did not run into in my exploring, or at least not the particular way she used it. I thought she had a great idea about using the photo collage to quiz students using more visual elements.
One of the blogs I chose to follow that were not in my class was Adventures in Educational Blogging. I really like this blog because it fits exactly into what we have been learning about in this class....blogging and technology! What better blog could I choose to follow for this assignment? The blog post I chose was all about different tools that are available to use to make the work flow easier. I basically just commented how their post helped to further my understanding on various web tools that are available.
The last blog I chose to follow is Ideas and Thoughts. I thought this was an interesting educational blog because not only does he post about education, he also posts about stuff that is interesting to everyday people such as him learning to play the guitar. I chose to comment on his post where he states that he had just started learning how to play the guitar as sort of a learning project. I thought it was a fairly clever idea.
Commenting on various blogs has really helped give me a sense of community with my fellow education majors. It really makes me stop and actually read their blog posts in order to give a proper response. Throughout the rest of the semester I plan to keep up with these seven blogs and comment on them regularly. Who knows, by the end of this semester I might be the next commenting queen! :)
The first blog I chose to follow was Kelsey Gardner's blog. The biggest reason I chose to follow her blog is actually because 1. we are roommates and 2. because I really like the creative ideas she has when it comes to education. I commented on her "Thing #9" because it was one of my favorite things from this half of the project and I really thought her creations were fun for a classroom setting.
The second blog I chose to follow was Brandi Reed's blog. I chose her blog because I really liked a lot of her ideas she had when it came to using technology in the classroom. A lot of the tools she chose to explore and post about where different than mine, so I was able to learn more about the other applications before trying them out. I commented on her "Thing #8" because I thought the idea of making a collage with Flickr was a great idea, especially if a teacher is making a poster for the classroom wall.
The third class blog I chose to follow and comment on was Mallory Stewart's blog. Because she is a good friend of mine and I enjoy reading someone's posts who I will probably be going through a lot of education classes with in the future. I really think it's important to form a relationship with people in your same field so that away you can share ideas. I chose to comment on her "Thing #11" because we both pretty much had the same feeling about the tools we can use to search for blogs. We both really loved Google's search tool but did not care so much for Synic8.com.
The fourth blog I chose to follow and comment on was Jessi Wright's blog. What really drew me into her blog was that she had a different blog title that everything else. Just from her title I could tell she would probably have fun posts. I chose to comment on her "Thing #7" because it really looked like she took a lot of time to post all of the pictures on it. I also thought her idea of using Flickr to show students images from around the world was great and something I had never thought of doing.
Last but not least, the final blog I chose to comment on from Education 2030 was Bletlea Apple's blog. To start with I really loved her blog layout and all the polka dots since I am a major polka dot fan. But aside from that I can tell she puts a lot of thought into her blog posts. I chose to comment on her "Thing #8" because the tool she chose to use is one that I did not run into in my exploring, or at least not the particular way she used it. I thought she had a great idea about using the photo collage to quiz students using more visual elements.
One of the blogs I chose to follow that were not in my class was Adventures in Educational Blogging. I really like this blog because it fits exactly into what we have been learning about in this class....blogging and technology! What better blog could I choose to follow for this assignment? The blog post I chose was all about different tools that are available to use to make the work flow easier. I basically just commented how their post helped to further my understanding on various web tools that are available.
The last blog I chose to follow is Ideas and Thoughts. I thought this was an interesting educational blog because not only does he post about education, he also posts about stuff that is interesting to everyday people such as him learning to play the guitar. I chose to comment on his post where he states that he had just started learning how to play the guitar as sort of a learning project. I thought it was a fairly clever idea.
Commenting on various blogs has really helped give me a sense of community with my fellow education majors. It really makes me stop and actually read their blog posts in order to give a proper response. Throughout the rest of the semester I plan to keep up with these seven blogs and comment on them regularly. Who knows, by the end of this semester I might be the next commenting queen! :)
Friday, September 9, 2011
Thing #3
The children's homework for the week, special events, updates on what the class is learning, and just my experience as a whole working with the children would all be things I would blog about if I created a blog when I start my teaching career. If my class was having a special play that I wanted the parents to know about, it would be a lot easy and more accessible if I put the information on my blog than to send each kid home with a note (who knows where the child will put the note!). Also if I needed parents to bring items to a specific class I would be able to post the list and the parents could easily comment on the post to say what they could bring and see what other parents are already bringing. The biggest problem I would probably face if I relied only on a blog to relay this information would be the fact that not every home has access to the Internet. Therefore I would still have to keep up with which families I would have to either sent notes home with or call. In the future hopefully most every home will be able to access the Internet so that teachers are able to use blogs more.
Thing #2
When I found out that I was going to have to create a blog I did not realize that I would have to think of a name for it. I am normally a very creative person however, with my blog's name I decided to stick with the name of the assigment since I only plan to use this blog for this class. If I get a blog in the future for my teaching career I will try to come up with a name that is more catchy.
Creating the blog was not very difficult for me. Becuase of my photography, I am fairly used to following blogs and keeping up with a facebook page for my little bussiness. I really think I am going to enjoy keeping track of what I have learned in the class in a way that I can share it with everyone. If I really enjoy keeping up with this blog I am going to try to blog more about things I do in my other education classes and also get a blog for my photography. I might even put them both together to be like the pioneer woman.
Creating my avatar was really fun, it reminded me of when my family first got a Wii a couple of years ago and we all created our little "Mii"s. The avatar reflects my personality because I smile pretty much all the time and I love wearing jeans and a teeshirt. I tried to create an avatar that looks like me, but I really don't think it looks like me. The hair color and how pale I am are a match, but the hair style and pretty much everything else about it does not even get close to looking like me.
Creating the blog was not very difficult for me. Becuase of my photography, I am fairly used to following blogs and keeping up with a facebook page for my little bussiness. I really think I am going to enjoy keeping track of what I have learned in the class in a way that I can share it with everyone. If I really enjoy keeping up with this blog I am going to try to blog more about things I do in my other education classes and also get a blog for my photography. I might even put them both together to be like the pioneer woman.
Creating my avatar was really fun, it reminded me of when my family first got a Wii a couple of years ago and we all created our little "Mii"s. The avatar reflects my personality because I smile pretty much all the time and I love wearing jeans and a teeshirt. I tried to create an avatar that looks like me, but I really don't think it looks like me. The hair color and how pale I am are a match, but the hair style and pretty much everything else about it does not even get close to looking like me.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Thing #1
I have honestly never thought about being a lifelong learner. When I think of learning I have always thought of learning things such as math, science, English, ect. This tutorial really opened my eyes as to things I can learn throughout my life to help me to become a better, more well rounded person. I have always enjoyed taking various classes such as art, dance, photography, and horse riding. Now I see these classes as a learning experience instead of simply for fun.
The habit that would definitely be the hardest for me would be habit 1. I am constantly starting something and setting unrealistic goals for myself instead of setting a reasonable end. Sometimes I do not even stop to think what I want the outcome of a certain project to be. The habit that would be the easiest (besides play, of course) would be habit 3. Every since I was little I enjoyed overcoming problems. Even if it is one that stresses me out, I still try to look at the bright side and see what I will learn when it is over. Now I know what steps I should take in order to be the best lifelong learner I can be.
The habit that would definitely be the hardest for me would be habit 1. I am constantly starting something and setting unrealistic goals for myself instead of setting a reasonable end. Sometimes I do not even stop to think what I want the outcome of a certain project to be. The habit that would be the easiest (besides play, of course) would be habit 3. Every since I was little I enjoyed overcoming problems. Even if it is one that stresses me out, I still try to look at the bright side and see what I will learn when it is over. Now I know what steps I should take in order to be the best lifelong learner I can be.
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