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.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
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.
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