Is this the end or only the beginning? :):) so done

I am able to take some great resources out of this program. As far as favorites are concerned, I really enjoyed making the pictures and videos. I will defiantly be using that one in the future. Another exercise I loved was making my own home page in Google, I did not know you could completely personalize your own web page full of useful tools and resources. My absolute favorite would have to be thing 22 where you could make your own videos. Every single thing has giving me something I can take with me in my future endeavors.

This program has given me a positive outlook on my future education goals. I can go out into the education field knowing that all of the information I could ever need to be successful right at my finger tips; all I really need is an internet connection. 

What really surprised me about this class was how unbelievably helpful it was. I took a technology class at my last school and absolutely hated it, and I felt like I didn't learn anything. This class is just the opposite, I have learned so much. 

What I have learned will help me daily as a teacher; part of being a good teacher is knowing how to use your resources to improve.

I may take a workshop or a refresher course in a few years because technology changes on a daily basis.

Thing 23!!

A little under Dr.Walls' avatar, there is a paragraph stating that Learning 2.0-23 Things for Teachers is based on a staff development program for the Mesquite Independent School District, and the Program was designed by Helene Blowers and adapted by the California School Library Association and it has been borrowed and duplicated with permission under Creative Commons.

I found the creative commons lesson so helpful in class. I know what plagiarism is, however it does not seem like I actually learned about copyright until my late high school years. I am sure I used pictures and songs without giving proper credit when I was younger. It is best to build strong habits as early as possible. If you learn something and practice it while you are young, it will be second nature. Before this class I didn't even realize there were special websites where you could go to use pictures and other materials for academic purposes. This skill is very important, especially since the internet has made other people's work so accessible.

Thing 22

LiveBinders is absolutely fantastic. It was so easy to set up and free. I made three binders titled, teachers resources, which has general education resources on the elementary level, and I also have one titled Science Scavenger hunt, the last one is Math activities.http://www.livebinders.com/play/play_or_edit?id=377858. Anyone can access any of my binders through the link I just put in here. I can see this being an extremely valuable resource for teachers and for students. In the classroom setting the teacher and the class could work together to make a binder, and it can be filled with learning activities, or recess type activities. I also really like the fact that you can add your own websites that you have found, or you can get Google search to fill up your binder. That particular feature is a real time saver. I would recommend this to any teacher or student.

Thing 21

This has been one of my favorite things of the semester so far. If you want to make a 30 second video, it is free and if you would like to make a longer video the fee is well worth it. The following is a link to all my videos http://animoto.com/projects. I have already posted the one about Trinity to this sight. This website was so easy to use, and there are certainly enough options for picking photos to put in your video. I did have a few issues with uploading my own music, but that could have just been my computer. If I can figure out how to upload my own music, I would pay the fee to make longer videos. I learned my multiplication facts by using songs and this resource would be great for creating a multiplication tape in the classroom. This site would also be useful to make a class video, the students in my future classes will probably have as much fun as I did exploring this site.

My Animoto Video

My Animoto Video

Thing 20

Youtube is another website I use frequently. This website is wonderful, in that you can basically find anything that you could ever want to view from music videos, to funny home videos, instructional videos, and even full television shows. With Youtube (especially in the classroom) the teacher needs to be in control of the video browsing. There are several videos on Youtube that are not elementary friendly. There are several instructional videos in all subjects, for all grades, so this (in the right hands) could be a wonderful classroom tool. This website is absolutely great if you are looking for resources, or entertainment videos.

Thing 19

I already knew about Facebook, but I did not know about the other social networking systems out there. I enjoyed exploring TeacherPop, and I am waiting on approval to post a photo and a comment to it. I also really love the social network the Bakespace, which offers thousands of recipes, free of charge. I also explored Ning, which includes a 30-day free trial, however it is not free all the time. I did look at the prices and 3 dollars a month is not bad, especially when you consider the advantages. There are obviously advantages to having a focused social networking system. In the classroom it would be better than Facebook, because Facebook, is focused on socializing and games. TeacherPop has a subject outlined. I currently have an account with Facebook, and I signed up for TeacherPop today as well as Bakespace. I will definitely us Bakespace in the future. Possibly Filmcrave too, because I love movies. 

Thing 18

This is actually one thing I was familiar with, I have had a Facebook account for a while now. I did not know that the Education department had there own page thought,  and I was pleasantly surprised by the information I found on that particular page, here is a link to my Facebook account:  /http://www.facebook.com/groups/137494276493/ with the group of education. If you would like to take a look at my personal Facebook account, it is under my married name Natasha Powers. (Haven't actually changed the name yet!! It is extremely important to have plenty of resources when you actually start working, and it is always nice having a constant contact with the people that you went to school with. Chances are you will be starting your career around the same time, and you can be a support system for each other. Some of the members of the group have already become teachers and they can be a very valuable resource as well. I do think that social networking is a great resource for teachers, and it could be useful in a classroom setting if carefully monitored. The age group also makes a difference. You aren't really supposed to create a Facebook account until you are 13 for a good reason. I do not believe an elementary student should be able to have unlimited access to social networking, because it can be dangerous.

Thing 17

I honestly have never even used the bookmarking tool before exploring the social bookmarking options. I always just type the same thing in the search bar and hope that I will be able to find it again! This is a fun easy to use tool to organize frequently used (or even great not so frequently used websites). It was so easy to use and in the last 10 minutes I have bookmarked 3 of the websites I found to be helpful in this class so far. I really enjoy the fact that there is a search engine in the actually bookmarking site to pull up helpful information. I believe this tool would be great for students to use in the elementary setting. The teacher could post helpful resources and bookmark them students, you could even get more descriptive to narrow the results down. This is also a great way for teachers to share useful websites. There are millions of websites out there and most of us simply do not have the time to conduct open ended searches every time we need to find a resource. I believe this resource will help me as a student as well as a teacher. Knowing what other people are saying about the website is also a helpful tool when deciding what to bookmark.

Thing #16

The start up page that I choose was iGoogle. I really enjoyed setting the page up. The liked the background choices for iGoogle. It was also really easy to set up and add gadgets. I created a to-do list for assignments and I was also able to attach a calendar and my favorite news updates. There is even a comic strip at the bottom. I will be turning this into my home page, it is very convenient to have everything I need on one page. As a college student and a mother, it is imperative that I stay organized and on task. Here is a link to my igoogle page..
http://www.google.com/ig#t_0

Thing 15

Wiki tools are awesome. I have always used wikipedia because even though it is not appropriate for research, it is quite informative. I had no idea there were so many pages similar to wikipedia, but in a different format. It was so easy to sign up/register to the pages to make changes. The APSU sandbox was my favorite page, I have not had the chance to go into everyone's blogs in all the classes, so it was nice to see everyone's favorite project on one page. I could definitely see using this tool in an elementary setting. Students would love to be able to share, and edit a class page.

Thing 14

Of the mind map options, I choose Bubbl.us which I set an account for and explored the program. I have a paper coming up in a literature class so I put in potential topics to see how far I could make the bubble diagram go, and the first two topics did not go very far, so I knew that probably wouldn't be a good idea to use those. One great thing about this program is, if you are thinking about a project and you need to make a decision based on whether or not you have enough information for that topic you can put your thoughts in an illustration and see a visual of the assignment. I am a visual learner so this is very helpful to me. I am going to be an elementary school teacher and I know these types of diagrams also help little ones visually organize their thoughts for an upcoming assignment. 

For the flow chart I choose Gliffy. This was completely free and so much fun to work with, there are several options for how to set up the chart, and you can start with a template and simply plug information in, or you can change the template anyway you choose. I really liked this program because thoughts do seem to make a full circle and you can visually see your mind map and how you came to the conclusion of the assignment. You can also go back later and add, or take away anything that is not necessary. You can completely personalize this program and it will help all ages with projects. I really enjoyed using both of these programs. The Bubbl was good if you have an idea and want to see a visual of what you are thinking. Gliffy is better if you are starting from scratch and want to map out your thought process. I recommend both of these programs and I will defiantly use them as I further my education.

Thing 13

I really enjoyed exploring the Zoho Writer features. It was much more like Microsoft word than I had expected. It had all the features they offer, plus a few extras Word does not include. I had fun creating my document. I even put a watermark in there, you can write whatever you like and even put an image as a watermark. I like the sharing features, if you want to share a Microsoft word document you have to attach it to an email and hope that you typed in the address right! I am definitely going to start using this tool, and I highly recommend it!

Google Docs also looks extremely helpful, I am having technical difficulties with my computer so I am unable to create a document, I will try at a later time. From what I can see about the features it looks like you can do everything on one program, make documents, presentations, forms, drawings, tables and collections. You can do anything in the presentation program that you can do in PowerPoint including inserting images, drawing on the presentation, and anything else you can think of doing. 

You can use a template that is already in the program or you can create one yourself. Another cool feature of Google docs is you can upload information and share it right from the website, again no attaching and emailing.

Thing 12

I have always used Google to search, but I had no idea they had all these other free features. I had trouble getting the picture application open because my cookies weren't enabled and I could not figure out how to enable them on my personal computer. I was able to explore the rest of the features and successfully set up a iGoogle account. http://www.google.com/ig?hl=en. It only took about 30 seconds and I  was also able to set up a Google Calendar, https://www.google.com/calendar/render?pli=1, so far I only have this week put in, but I am really excited about this feature. I also have a student planner, but I have to carry it around with me and remember to write everything down. I like the fact that I have access to the Google Calendar anywhere there is internet access. I was also able to link a TO-DO list to my iGoogle page through gadgets. There are many fun gadgets to explore. This could be very beneficial to educators, organization is a teachers best friend, and being able to access your calender (which can be used daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly) with a few strokes on a computer is a very helpful tool. There are several topics available including, entertainment, financial, politics, communication, and tools. All of these can be used while furthering education, as well as in my future career.

Thing 11

The method of finding feeds that was the easiest would have to be Google Blog search. For my first search I simply put in Elementary Education and I received many great options. I also searched Future Teachers of America and found out they are having an event in Montgomery county pretty soon. I also found Technorati to be very easy to use, and this site broke the blogs down by subject. There were so many different topics, anyone could find something they are interested in blogging about. There are thousands of options for entertainment, business, sports, politics, technology, living, and science. The site can look a little intimidating at first, however once you decide your topic it is pretty easy to narrow it down from there. The blogs I chose from this site were, Mashable (tech info blog), LaughingSquid (art and culture blog), and Code Name: Mama (living and family blog). I was not really fond of Topix Clarksville, however I did use it to find Real Time News Feed Blog for Clarksville, which was an interesting blog. The top blogs on the front page just were not that interesting to me. When I was searching in Google Blog search I found a blog, Uncovered Insights On Elementary Education Strategies , but it only had one post and no comments or feed back which was disappointing. That was the only one I had trouble with, all of the other blogs I was interested in were very easy to set up on my Google reader account.

Thing 10

I really enjoyed exploring RSS and establishing an account. It was very easy to search for blogs that I would be interested in, all you have to do is type your the subject and search. I added Cool Cat Teacher, 100 Free Web Tools for Elementary teachers, Elementary Teacher Resource Blog, Free Technology for Teachers, and Lessons and Classroom games for teachers to my Google reader account. I do not have to go to the individual blogs anymore, I get to go to one established account, where I can access them all in one place. This is a wonderful tool for anyone to use. There is an abundance of useful information out there, and it is convenient to be able to access it on one site. You are not limited to how many blogs you can subscribe to, and you do not have to stick to just one subject either. I can defiantly use the information in the above with current school lessons and with my future career as an educator. Teachers can join various jobs and get suggestions and tips from other teachers across the country. There is an entire teaching network out there and they are all helping each other with these blogs. The only thing you have to do to take advantage of these services is create a free Google reader account. I enjoyed this activity and look forward to learning new skills and tips for the classroom.

Thing #9

http://www.comicstripgenerator.com/search.asp?cartoon=nemo

http://www.images-graphics-pics.com/signs/sign-generator/simple.asp?text=THAT+YOU+CAN+CHANGE+THE+TEXT+IN+THIS+STREET+SIGN&align=center&fontsize=30&font=SignBold&color=black&color2=&watermark=&move=0&move2=&parody=&rotate=-1&pic=notice-this&x=26&y=146&w=280&h=306

 www.sillyscenes.com


These tools were so easy to use, and interesting. It is fun to create unique images using real world images. I could see where students would enjoy using several of these tools to create images. These tools would need to be used under close adult supervision. As I was exploring different tools, I did run across some that would not be appropriate for elementary students. There are several different options for types of signs, you can also do personal banners, add pictures to most of the tools, add your own text, create comics, and so many other options. One of my favorites is silly scenes, and yes that is my little Trinity up in Time Square!  These are fun tools for everyone including  students to explore. In addition to tool options, and the option to add a photo, there is also an option to add your own text. A teacher could create a fun,  personalized sign for the classroom. The students could work together to create images to display in the classroom. This is an overall fun activity that students will enjoy. 

Thing 8

  http://bighugelabs.com/jigsaw.php

I used the jigsaw application on the big huge labs (flickr) to create this masterpiece of me and my husband on our wedding day. This application was very user friendly, and you can share the image or you can buy the actual puzzle. As a teacher, the students could explore this application and create their own puzzle which is fun and a safe application to use. 

 

http://bighugelabs.com/mosaic.php

I used another application on big huge labs that allows you to create a mosaic with selected pictures. You can link the mashup tool to your flicker, facebook account, or you can upload pictures right off of your computer. I had fun making this as well. For a classroom setting the children can use this application in science to create examples of different species and save it to the classroom computer. The photos can be from any photos provided by flickr so this could also help with geometry in math (find different picture examples for shapes). The children are learning, it is fun for them, and they can save their work. I have not had a chance to explore all of the different applications, however I read about the photo application that establishes geographical locations for pictures. That would be helpful in a social studies classroom. 

 You can also combine the applications, for example if you save the puzzles as images on your computer, then you can make a mosaic of picture puzzles! I hope everyone had as much fun as I did exploring these tools.

Thing 7

Flickr is a very interesting imagining networking system that offers many benefits. It serves as a storage place to keep pictures without taking up memory and slowing your computer down. It can also be connected to your facebook, or blog which is a nice aspect. I have created my account but I have not linked it to the blog yet, but I will soon. I also like the fact that you can group pictures together, and chose who has access to them. It is important when you post anything about yourself on the internet you take security precautions. I have looked at several of  the galleries and my favorite one so far is Inspiral, which is a collection of nature made photos of geometric shapes spirals in particular. The gallery I have linked to my blog has beautiful photographs of astronomy. I really like the fact that there are several galleries that appeal to all different kinds of people and their interests. I also really likes the night life gallery which displaying interesting light aspect in large cities at night. This is a great website and I certainly see how it could be beneficial to look up certain galleries in a classroom. There are several image examples below, and if you click on any of them you will be directed to the page where you can find the photographers name!

Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2009 - the judges' picks

Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2009 - the judges' picks, a gallery by Royal Observatory Greenwich on Flickr.

this is another interesting collection of photos that I found on flickr
Thing 7

Thing #6

The tool I explored for web 2.0 awards was Dropbox. Dropbox is a wonderful tool, once you download and set up your account you can access it from any computer that has Dropbox downloaded. Dropbox is a storage system (users automatically get 2GB for free), and it is also a way you can share certain pictures or documents with specified groups of people instantly. So, if a photographer wanted to send his client pictures of a wedding, etc. he could and they could pick them out on Dropbox and choose what to keep. It can also be used in the classroom setting, for instance students can scan and share work instantly. You can also create groups where the whole class has access to class notes. Dropbox even works if you do not have an internet access, you still have access to all of your saved files. You can create picture galleries only viewable to certain people. My favorite part of Dropbox is that unlike email it is extremely easy to group documents by type and certain people, so you can organize the information easily. The only thing I do not like about it is that it has to be downloaded. It is available for download on all Macs, Windows, most Android phones, Blackberry phones, and all Iphones. 

Thing 5

To me school 2.0 is the future of integrating technology and classroom education in ways that were not possible twenty years ago. There are so many wonderful and helpful resources on the internet that can enhance the academic experience. Students should learn early how to find and use these sources. One of the articles I read said that 55 percent of students age 12-17 are already using the internet for social and educational interaction. In 2012 it is not uncommon for a seven year old to know more about the world wide web and computer use than their parents. As computers become as common in the average household as the television, children need to know how to use the internet to their advantage. 

Just as discussed in the previous blogs, the internet has many advantages to us, as college students. On many of the websites of the day you will also notice that many of those helpful websites and posts for teachers also have student resources and activities within them. Another great aspect of school 2.0 is students enjoy getting on the internet and finding things out for themselves. It is also important to remember that in the home environment it is important to block certain content, because with all of the great information that is out there, there is also disturbing and dangerous information that children should not be exposed to. 

This thing has really opened my eyes to the teacher and the student benefits to using the internet to enhance the academic experience. I look forward to learning more about how to use the internet to our advantage as teachers, and learn about how to teach future students to use school 2.0 to their advantage. 

Thing #4

Blogging creates a sense community by connecting various groups people together for communication, who do not even necessarily have to be in the same state. The blogs that we created in this class help us learn about our classmates, and their thoughts on the blog process, even though we do not really get a chance to talk in class because we are working or listening to lecture. It is important to comment on other blogs because you need to let them know that you not only read this but also hear what they are saying. If you just read an never post, the other person does not know you even read it. It is important to contribute to the blogging community.

The Cool Cat blogger suggestions were very helpful, in particular Criticize kindly, it is important to understand you do not necessarily need to agree with everything someone else blogs. But give the other blogger the same respect that you would expect a commenter to give you if they were reading your blog. Something that surprised me while I was reading the Cool Cat suggestions was the mention of Darth Commenter. It is great to be forewarned about these types of people, so that I do not let it bring me down and stop blogging altogether.

I am going to be following Morgan Garton, Tammy Smith, Alyssa Kiffen, Christopher Goda, and Kelley Poole from this class. The other non-class related blogs I chose were All in Good Food which is a blog all about simple fantastic recipes and cooking tips. The other blog I chose to follow is The Mom Blogger club for toddlers and preschooler. I joined the mom blogger because I learn something new everyday as a parent, and I still have so much to learn, other moms are a great resource. I have not commented on the two public blogs, but I have made comments on my classmates blogs. With all of the interesting features we are exploring this semester, I really appreciate them describing some of the cool features that I did not have the time to explore. If they describe the feature or blog as particularly helpful, I comment that I appreciate the information and I will have to check out the feature or blog for myself.

Thing 3

  Blogs can be used in various ways throughout the education process and in the actual teaching field. For educational purposes  they can be used to: track learning experiences throughout the education process, effectively communicate information between professors and an entire class of students instantly, and there could also be specific assignment blogs so students could help each other. Blogs are also efficient, they are like having a teachers manual you do not have to carry around with you. Blogs are accessible,  you can access them on any computer or phone with just an internet connection. Another advantage to a blog is you cannot lose it.

   For classroom purposes blogs can be used to: connect the teacher with the students parents (especially for elementary teachers), class blogs, assignment blogs, and give the students a voice in their education process. Teachers can also use blogs to communicate with each other, by school, by subject, or by grade-level. Blogs are extremely efficient and easy to make, and I am looking forward to using them.

Thing 2

  I was pleasantly surprised with my blog and avatar setup experience. The thought of creating my own blog complete with an avatar was a little intimidating. I used Blogger to set up my blog and the step by step instructions were very helpful and make the process easier. I was able to get the account set up but had difficulty getting the actual blog for 23 things set up. It was very frustrating because the process I was going through (sending the verification codes to the phone and then inputting them into the system) was not working. I received help from Dr. Richardson and another student to get the blog set up and it took a while but we got it done, and I am very happy and surprised with how good my blog looks now. Now that it is set up, changing the background, and personalization with fonts is extremely easy and I expect smooth sailing from here on through the end of the semester. 

     The program we used to set up the Avatar was easy to use as well and it was fun. I choose to use an avatar that looks like me and dresses like me because when people read my blog I want them to be able to recognize who they are blogging with. I also decided to make it look like me because I have never created myself as an avatar before and it was fun picking out the hair, the outfits and the background that my avatar was going to use. The process for attaching the avatar to the blog was a simple copy and paste, which is always nice and easy. 

    At this time I am happy with both the avatar and the blog I chose, and I really look forward to learning how to set-up and use resources that will be helpful to me in the classroom. I also love the fact that all of the classes are connected, and while that may make it harder to post new information, there is a vast amount of information all students can use to enhance our technological experiences in this class, and in the future. 

        

Thing 1 and reflection

      Lifelong learning habits are essential for a productive learning environment. In school most children (and adults) memorize what is required in order to pass exams, and by the time the next year rolls around they only have retained a small amount of the material. Adults and children alike will benefit greatly from incorporating habits for lifelong learning into every day activities. Many of us focus on short term goals, and we need to think about how short term goals help us achieve long term goals. Another important part of goals is self-assessment and accountability. By achieving goals, confidence grows, which is another habit that is important. The habit that I find the easiest is, view problems as challenges. Problem solving skills in all subjects, as well as in everyday life are crucial. Usually if you think about a problem logically, a solution can be found. It is not always mandatory that children or adults solve problems completely on their own (unless taking a test). An important step in problem solving is using your resources, including teachers, peers, and family members. Having other people help can also provide different ways to view the problem and a variety of solutions to choose from. The habit that I will find the most difficult is, create your own learning toolbox. I am excited about the idea, and I know it is imperative that I be prepared. However, I do not know everything that goes into a learning toolbox. At this moment, I also do not know how to use technology to my advantage. I am just on thing 1 so hopefully when I get to thing 23 I will be more confident in my technological capabilities.

  As I reflect on the 7 and a half habits of lifelong learners, my favorite is probably the half, which is play. It is so important for children to play, and playing is often a wonderful learning opportunity. When people are engaged they are more likely to retain information. Children learn many lifelong lessons by playing. Proper human interaction, sharing, limits, and different toys teach different lessons. When children are one year old to about five most of their learning comes from play, because children that small will not sit at a table and listen to lecture. Older children benefit from playing as well. For example if fifth graders play a game about math instead of listening to a lecture they are engaged, learning and having fun.