Thing #19

Visit TeacherPop
I am not a member of any other social network or communities except TeacherPop and now Facebook. When my schedule slows down (once I finish my Master's Degree), I may find time to explore these networks, especially those concerned with book reviews and movie reviews. It would be fun to talk with people who read the same books I read and to discuss them. I also like to discuss the movies I watch. So Film Crave and Good Reads will be on my to-do list once I graduate.

A final thought

I believe I enjoyed creating the Animoto the most of all the projects in the 23 Things. It is a tool I can see myself using often. I was uncomfortable with creating so many web apps and putting my name out there to be contacted by on Facebook. I have already in under 24 hours had two offers for people to join as friends. I can see all of this taking up a lot of time.

There are some applications I will take away and use in my classroom. Podcasting and YouTube can be useful tools. I was surprised to find that I enjoyed delving into these websites and applications. It was sometimes disappointing to go to a link only to find that something was no longer there. The only suggestion I have is to make sure at the beginning of each semester that some of these websites and links still exist. As we know, the web is ever changing.

As technology advances in my school and computer access becomes more available, I can see using blogs, social networking, on-line word processors and project makers with my students. I will maintain my RSS reader and Google tools as they are great at keeping me organized.

Thing #23

There is attribution for the 23Things found on the first blog page and on each "thing" page which states that it is loosly based on the 43 Things by Stephen Abrams as well as the Learning 2.0-23Things by Mesquite Independent School District.

The Creative Commons offers different types of copyright licensing for what you create. From allowing no one to do more than see your work to allowing them to take it and use it in whatever way they wish with attribution back to you as the creator, a license can be found to suite anyone. I would recommend my students use a Creative Commons license on the projects they create and post on-line. It would be up to them the strength of that license and how much they want to protect their work. Some things I create as a teacher I would want to protect from misuse but I feel I would probably be pretty liberal in how I let others use what I create.

Thing #22

http://www.learnoutloud.com/podcaststream/listen.php?url=http://feeds.feedburner.com/princetonreview&all=1&title=18871
This is a link to the Princeton Vocabulary Minute. These guys sing their way through vocabulary lessons and some of the songs are really funny while teaching junior and senior high students about vocabulary words. Only an English teacher could truly get the humor here, but some are very entertaining. It was refreshing to hear a podcast that was original and not just someone reading to me. So many of the English lesson podcasts I listened to were dry and spoken in a monotone. I had some trouble negotiating around Podcastdirectory and Podcastalley. Many of the podcasts there required downloads or subscriptions. Educational Podcast Directory and Learn Out Loud were more user friendly. I might use podcasting with my students. Those who have Garage Band on their computers could submit their essays to me by podcast. Audacity was difficult to use and add music to, so for now I see limited usage since the school's computers are PCs. I believe I will keep in touch with the Princeton Review as these guys are very clever. This would be a fun tool to use as a bellringer with my students if I had a 21st Century Classroom.
http://feeds.feedburner.com/princetonreview

Thing #21

Making this Animoto was fun. Some of my pictures are not on the final cut for some reason. The song I felt said it all. We need to take time for the little things. The trip to the zoo was for my daughter's 9th birthday. She took her two best friends with her. My husband took these photographs which I feel are very good. I can see us using Animoto to share pictures with family and friends. It gives life to a photo album. This may be something my students and I try to add interest to our web newspaper.

TinkTime

Thing #20

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7ka0O5Jkyo
I selected this video because I believe these students show a very useful application of YouTube. They have taken what they have learned and made something different out of it. While it is not easy to hear everything they say, the idea gets across. This would be a fun activity to use with my students. They ask me quite often if they can rap for me. I plan to use this idea in my classroom.

During my exploration of YouTube, I found some very boring English videos. I can understand why students say English is boring. The videos I browsed, while useful in teaching rules and ESL students English, were dry and taught by people in a monotone. We explored some interesting videos as a family on the Grand Canyon's new observation tower and the thrill rides perched atop the Stratosphere in Las Vegas. Check those out, they are awesome.

Thing #18

http://www.facebook.com/s.php?q=Roy+Williams&k=100000020&init=q&sid=6d36f11bbef72c103f3c71798fac83ec#/profile.php?id=1228664192&ref=name

I decided to create a FaceBook page as that is where my husband is networked. I added him as a friend and am up and running. I have to admit taking this step made me very uncomfortable. I do not spend large amounts of time on the computer unless I have to and my home time is very private. I am someone who does not talk much on the phone and do not think I will spend much time exploring with this kind of networking. I understand this is the wave of the future and many people spend large amounts of time finding old friends and keeping in touch this way. Many of my students have MySpace and Facebook pages. I am not sure I would want to explore their pages and get that much inside their minds. Again a tool like this one could be used to keep in touch with students but I feel there are other web tools that could be used and be just as effective.

Thing #17

Del.icio.us looks to be a handy tool for managing web searches. I wish I had known more about this bookmarking site before working on my webquest and scavenger hunt. I am considering signing up with del.icio.us to help handle my research for the Assistive Technology paper. I can see where using this site would be useful to teachers in a networking situation. It would be good to know what other English teachers are reading and marking as important. It certainly would cut down on my search time for useful classroom tools. I tried to learn more about Furl and Magnolia but Furl has been sold and Magnolia is no longer in service. Del.icio.us and other social bookmarking sites could also be used with students if we had a shared account like the 23things account where the students could access websites I have bookmarked for them. I am all for organizational tools and this looks like a good one.

Thing #16

I had already set up Google as my homepage. I found it was easiest to keep up with everything Google that way. It was fun putting onto the page things I want to keep up with. Since I love the beach so much I have two aquariums I watch. I also chose to have the weather there, newspaper cartoons and to keep up with the sites I am following. I also set up a calendar through my Google account. It e-mailed me at my APSU e-mail the reminders I had put there. That was a handy way to keep up with the assignments I had coming up. I took a look at Zamzar which is a file converter. I don't think I am computer savvy enough at this time to really use this tool, but will keep it in mind if I need to convert files in the future.

I did take a look at some of the Web tools available for students. Gradefix would really be helpful for my students who need to get organized and keep up with their assignments. This tool does cost $5 a month which some parents may not find beneficial to pay.

Thing #15

I will have to re-attempt to edit pages in the 23 Things Wiki. The page would not allow me to edit this time around. I did add a comment on Google as I really loved the idea of the Picasso Picture Album. I can see where Wiki's could be fun to use with students working on a project in an English classroom. We could set up our own literary comment wiki on the books we read. I am concerned about the freedom for anyone to edit and add comment. That is one of the criticisms I have heard about Wikipedia. How reliable is the information if anyone can add and edit a page? It was a source I used in studying this past summer on English literature. It usually rang true with Spark Notes and Cliff Notes though, so I cannot recall personally finding any errors in the website.

Thing #14

I created this flow chart using Gliffy. It is a common graphic organizer used in the 8th grade for students to illustrate their expository essay. Using Gliffy is much like using draw tools in MicroSoft Word; however, I found it easier to manuever and to make it colorful. There was less switching back and forth. The mind map I made could not be shared over the web through bubbl.us. It was a fun tool to use and would link your bubbles together based upon whether you created a sibling or a child. The colors were very vivid, but I was disappointed not to be able to export it. You can share it on-line with friends.

trial1

This is my Zoho Writer document created for Dr. Ann Wall's 5540 Educational Technologies Class at Austin Peay State University.  It is very much like using Word and Works document writers.  I look forward to exploring this tool for usage in my classroom as my students get ready to create a school newspaper.  I am wondering how this tool might help with that but will have to spend more time exploring the options available here.  I am facing having to buy Microsoft Office for my home computer as it can loaded with Works instead.  I have to have Microsoft Office to send lesson plans to my principals.  Works documents cannot be read by the school's computer.  I am wondering how this tool might help me avoid purchasing more software.

Thing #13

http://export.writer.zoho.com/ZExport.do?tstamp=19,3,2009

This is my first time using Zoho Writer. I plan to spend more time creating documents and exploring how this tool can be used to help my students compose the school newspaper we hope to start. It behaves much like a Word software writer which will make writing the stories easy, but I am looking for a way to lay the newspaper out on the web without having to pay a webservice to help me.

About Thing #12 Album

I found using Picasa Web Album tools from Google was very easy and user friendly, however, it does take time to upload photographs. I am also finding that putting it in slide show format on my blog spot is causing the spot to download more slowly. This would be a useful tool to use in putting together a school newspaper website. The students could upload pictures on a common Google account and create a slide show of each sporting event for the school newspaper.

I also set up my iGoogle page. It was fun adding the different gadgets that I would like to see each time I go on-line. I set this page up strictly for fun with news items about television, movies, comics, and other trivia. This feature could be used in a classroom by limiting the menu to news articles that would be of importance to students and their classroom work. It would be a great place to get current events quickly to use in the classroom. I did not see a way to link others to my iGoogle page.

I also checked out the alerts and set up the calendar. The calendar feature would be good to share with my family in Texas as they are always asking when I have time off and what I am up to.

Thing #12

View Album

Get your own

Thing #11

Google Blog Search was the easiest search engine to use. It gave me numerous hits on simple keywords and also helped me narrow my search. I added one new blog spot from my search to my RSS. I had heard that the White House has a blog spot, so I added it to my RSS. Feedster was down for some reason, so I could not use it. A search on the web revealed that it may no longer be available. I found Topix.net a little complicated at first. It is helpful in that you can narrow your search to local news, but it's graphics and layout make it difficult to find your search results at first. Once I got the hang of it, I played around for some time looking for news information about education closest to me. It also showed me news feed from as far away as Adilabad where 40 teachers are in trouble for attending a conference that contradicted the accepted Model Code of Conduct. Technorati is categorized on its home page so I found it to be very user friendly in searching for blogs. You can begin your search on this site based upon broad intersts or use the search engine for a narrower category.

Thing #10

I chose Google Reader for my RSS. I already have a Google account through my blog spot so the account was already set up for me. I liked that I could keep track of both news sites and blog spots through Google Reader. I also like the fact that through RSS I can receive updates as they happen and not have to search favorite websites for information. I chose a variety of sites to keep track of including Coolcatteacher and Dangerously Irrelevant as recommended by Dr. Wall. I also chose to keep track of blogs concerning educational trends, tips from other English teachers and news reports on education. I plan to use this tool for my personal learning and to keep myself informed about changes in educational policy. In today's political environment, I believe a lot of changes in education will be coming about and I want to stay informed. I believe other teachers might find this tool useful for the same reasons. What an easy way to stay connected to people in your profession world-wide where you can daily exchange information without wasting time checking to see if someone has updated or commented on their blog.

Turn Loose The English.

Enter a word for your own slogan:

Generated by the Advertising Slogan Generator. Get more english slogans.

Image generator at http://thesurrealist.co.uk/slogan.cgi?word=english

This image generator uses one word and turns it into a slogan. You could even order a t-shirt with this slogan. This could be a fun tool to use in a student contest or just for fun. The teacher could generate slogans and have the students explain in essay format how they make sense or why they would be a great way to advertise something. There are many applications to using this generator in an English classroom.

Thing #9

This image was created at http://www.happyfacegenerator.com/. I have always been a fan of happy faces and believe they are a fun way to convey messages. I would use this in Powerpoints and in a student newspaper.



This image was made at http://cooltext.com/Render-Result?RenderID=415872661. These images are buttons you can use as hyperlinks or just to enhance your blog spot or web page.

My Presentation

I created this mosaic using Splashr. This is pretty cool and could be used on the student newspaper website we plan to create at my school. As you click on each photograph it moves and then will click to a snapshot of the picture. This would be a fun feature to use with personal pictures you could share with family and friends. As an avid scrapbooker, I believe Flickr and its toys would definitely be fun to use and would save on paper and mess. Though I am still a bit leary of putting my pictures out there for public display, I might just have to trust Flickr's privacy features and put its tools to good use.

Thing #8

These images were found by using Flickr Spell. This feature could be used in a variety of ways by students in an English classroom. It would be a great way to encourage students to go on-line and play around with their spelling words as a way to practice them. I could also use this as an attention grabber in a Powerpoint display. Students could also be encouraged to go out and take pictures of letters around their school to create words for spelling purposes or to use in the school newspaper.

Thing #7

This photo was taken by Keven Law and according to the Creative Commons was available to share with attribution. Photo found:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3067/2919179438_35c8879bdd_d.jpg

I chose the Tiger because that is the school mascot where I teach. I am planning to lead the students through putting together a school newspaper called "Tiger Times" as a year-end project and was looking for images they could use. I am planning to web publish the newspaper.

I found it a challenge to get the URL into blogger to use this picture, but otherwise did not have problems finding an image I liked. It was frustrating to find some really cool images that were not for public use and sharing. There are some really talented photographers out there. They inspire me to get out and take some pictures when the world is green and pretty again.

I will use Flickr to help my students find images for the newspaper and also as a commons to publish the school pictures we plan to use in the newspaper. This will be a great tool to use as a place to put all the pictures the students have taken over their years at their school. They can then select the pictures they want to publish in the newspaper.

I do not think I would use Flickr for personal use as I am very private and still leary of putting myself out there on the web, but I believe with the right privacy restrictions there can be some great classroom applications here.

Thing #6

I checked out the website for Writeboard. This would be a great site for organizing student writings. I believe with this site that it is possible for each student to have a portfolio of their writings that I would keep up with through Backpack which integrates with Writeboard. This site could also be used for organizing a student newspaper as a group project. What I love about the site is that any writings can be edited and old versions of it are saved as well as the new. A simple click will get you back to the original. This would allow students to edit each other's work without destroying the original. Students would also be able to e-mail me their documents from their home computers instead of telling me they forgot it, or lost it. One concern about the site is that until I actually work with it in setting up student portfolios, I am unsure of how easy it will be to keep track of all of the student writings. Link to this site - http://www.writeboard.com/

Thing #5

School 2.0 is a term to describe the use of technology in the classroom - specifically using the internet as a learning tool. The web once was a research tool used in classrooms where students could access information - usually from home - print it and use it. Now the web becomes the classroom as students interact with it. There are interactive sights where they can play educational games. There are sights where they become the creator - My Space, YouTube. Schools will need to step up to the plate and provide classrooms in the very near future with computers so students can have daily access to these tools. Schools of the future will use these 2.0 tools for enhancing student learning. Geography teachers can have maps at their fingertips with Web 2.0 tools - Google Maps. Students can interact with grammar and math games to get immediate feedback on whether they are grasping the material covered in class.

Thing #4

Part 2
I have decided to follow Amelia Bedelia Becomes a Teacher, Blog by Bowman, Mind of a Tennessee Math Teacher, Stefie #39's learning process and tdezellem from our community of 23 Things. Stefie and I sit right next to one another in class and are often lost and confused together. It is comforting to walk through this process with someone who is new to all this like I am. We often help each other out. She helps me more than I help her. I was surprised to read tdezellem's blog and find someone else whose favorite movies, music and books are identical to mine. We share a future profession teaching English and she has found some great resources already that I have been able to add to my growing list of technology tools. Amelia and I share two classes together and are on the same team in Classroom Assessment. It will be fun to read her blogging thoughts. The other two spots I chose are really to help my husband who is beginning the process of getting a teacher's licensure to teach math. He is just beginning to lean towards a future in teaching as the market for Architects is slim to none in Nashville. He loves exploring the internet and reading blogs from people who have things in common with him.

I have already added a comment for Stefie concerning the setting up of an Avatar. She and I experienced the same difficulties with the process but found it was a fun activity nonetheless. I also thanked tdezellem for finding http://www.lulu.com/. I believe this site will help me with some publishing I want to do with my students.

The two bloggers ouside our class that I have added to my RSS is the White House and Dangerously Irrelevant. I like discussion about the political issues that surround education and want to keep informed about what is going on from every angle.

Part 1
Commenting on blogs helps create a sense of community and interaction because people with like interests can come together and share their viewpoints and differences. I believe we begin to respect each other through our views even if we disagree. Blogging narrows this big world into a smaller community by bringing people together who serve a common purpose. We are all seeking to be better educators now or in our future jobs. Sharing our thoughts and experiences makes learners out of us who are teachers.

Coolcatteacher points out in her blog that we need to create meaningful comments. Blogging's purpose is to converse - not to get people attracted to following our blogs. She points out that just saying "right on" or "yeah" is not enough. We need to expand on our comments so that the author and those following the blog receive meaningful insight and discussion can continue on an issue. She very wisely cautions new bloggers not to be put off when "Darth Commentor" invades and posts nasty comments. These "negative Nellies" need to be deleted and not responded to.

Edu Blogger Etiquette points out that it is rude not to respond to comments made to your blog. However, it is acknowledged that some bloggers prefer to quietly e-mail someone instead of respond to comments directly on the blog spot. Encourage those who respond to your blog by acknowledging their effort by responding back in some way.

Thing #3

Blogging is not something I would have considered using in my classroom before taking this technology class. I am a private person and like my personal time to be my own, but I am fast becoming a convert.

I could use this page with my students as a point of contact on days like today when we are out for snow. There were many things I needed them to accomplish during these past 4 days which will have to wait until next week. I plan to use this page in the future to communicate with my students some extras they can do to prepare for class and earn extra credit. I will link helpful websites to my page where they can interact with learning English grammar by playing games and going through activities. This could become a very useful tool in and out of the classroom.

I also plan to post helpful hints and tricks that my students can check out when doing their homework. Eighth graders are not always the most attentive in class, so posting things on the internet is an additional way of getting information to them in a timely fashion. It would also be a way of supplimenting handouts that they may lose.

Thing #2

My blog is named Tink Time because Tink is my nickname given to me by my grandmother. She refused to call me by my given name because my mother did not name me after my grandmother (it was a mother-in-law thing I guess). So I used a play on words and chose Tink Time in place of Think Time.

Creating this blog was quite a challenge for me. I usually wait for my husband to show me any new things having to do with the internet. I am cautious about encountering computer viruses or letting too much personal information loose to the general public. It feels very weird to be pouring my thoughts out for all to see. Since my husband has travelled out of town today, I found myself having to walk through this process alone. It has taken me quite some time, but I am getting the hang of it and actually having fun. I only made one phone call to him for information on cookies and how to enable them. Figured that one out on my own - yeah, me. So if you have not set up your blog spot yet, you need to check and make sure cookies are enabled on your computer.

Creating the Avatar was the best part of the process. I chose an image which is somewhat like my own - conservative yet modern (notice the beach ball is strategically placed). My 9 year old daughter wanted me to pick something a little more "ohh, la, la" but that is just not who I am. I placed myself on the beach because that is my favorite place in the world -- any beach, anywhere!!!

This blog's background also says a little bit about who I am. I love color, and polka dots make me happy. I read somewhere that people can be catagorized based upon the shape they like the most. I love circles, but seem to remember that what the article said about circle people did not fit who I am. I don't believe I fit anyone's mold, so I changed the colors a bit on the page to give it some pizzazz.

Thing #1

In considering the 7 1/2 habits of life-long learners, I find that accepting responsibility for my own learning and taking pride in it has helped me the most. One of the habits I continue to struggle with is having the confidence in myself to keep going.

On my recent path to a higher education and new career, I have found that accepting responsibility for my own learning and taking pride in my achievements has helped me stay focused and meet my ultimate goal - to be an English teacher. In the past I have waited for opportunities to come to me. I did not push outside my box to pursue the career of my dreams because I did not have the confidence in myself to push to the end. I have always been good at starting things and then letting them go when it became too difficult or interferred with my leisure time. Since striking out on this new path, I have put aside many of the hobbies I love to concentrate on the main goal - a graduate degree and teacher's certificate. I am learning to have confidence in myself as a learner and to stay focused on the end - or the goal I intend to achieve.