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.