Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Thing 14

Right now I would have to say I see myself more as a consumer of podcasting to start with. I think I need to get a good handle on using podcasting before I create one. I would like to do both eventually and plan to work at this during summer break.

I would like to use it in my classes. Like the oral History project and Science experiments. It will be difficult to do because we have limited access to the server and programs needed to make the podcasts including computer access for everyone.

I liked some of the ideas to use ipods in the classroom. I liked the idea of students using them to listen to a test as they take it. Many of my student use this accommodation on tests and we have to read it to them. This would be great. It would be hard to get ipods for student/teacher use and getting teachers to put their test onto the ipod may be even more difficult. With the new High School requirements/ standards all test being the same for each subjects, it would be a great tool for the final exams.

Sunday, April 27, 2008

Thing 13

I subscribed to the following ones:Science Friday: http://www.sciencefriday.com/feeds/radio/ and LD podcast: http://www.ldpodcast.com/ I also enjoyed the information from this podcast: The Tech Pod Zone:

I felt more comfortable search with the educational podcast sites the best.
Using Yahoo and youtube I could see that some podcast might not be appropriate just by their titles and short descriptions. I also found a neat one on digital photography. I think I would use Yahoo as a last resort.

It made me want to go out and get an ipod or a zune. I looked on some sites to compare the too and see which one would be best. So far I think I like the ipod the best but maybe it is just because I had to help my son with his and know how to download media onto it. My step son says he likes zune the best so I will have the opportunity to check them out first hand before I buy one.

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Thing 12

I found all the podcasts I explored interesting. I used the link “go here” to the educational podcast wiki :
http://podcasting-in-education.wikispaces.com/Examples+of+Educational+Podcasts
I have to admit I stopped the RESA podcast to write each link out and then found that you had this wonder link to all the sites and more. I spent over 4 hours looking at podcasts and boy time flies when you are having fun.

I subscribed to the following ones:
Science Friday: http://www.sciencefriday.com/feeds/radio/ and LD podcast: http://www.ldpodcast.com/ I also enjoyed the information from this podcast: The Tech Pod Zone: http://www.psucast.com/techpodzone/ I liked the information they gave in their 64 Christmas Wish list. They had lots to say about different site. I also learned about a site called TrailFire: http://www.trailfire.com You could use this site for web quests and other activities. I enjoyed Mr. Coley’s page and podcasts as well. I would like to set up a web page like his. I am going to check out our website and see if I can do more with it this summer.

I have used United Streaming in the classroom for at least two years now and these podcasts can be used like that to start a lesson or reinforce a lesson.
I would like to be able to have my students create podcasts but I have a lot of work to do before I get there. Hopefully this summer I can master it.

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Thing 11

Thing 11
Here is my link to my wiki link: http://wikismart.wikispaces.com/

I called it wikismart. I know I need to work on my wiki more but ran into some problems with the layout. I was thrilled that I was able to download “wikismart” letters using spell with flickr onto my wiki page. However on the edit page it looked great then when I saved it the words went down the page not across the page. I was able to change the order of the graphics and put it to the bottom of the page but I can’t get it to go across the page.
Anyone have ideas to help with this?

I think this is an easy way to post and work as a group on line. We use a shared drive at school were we can all save and add documents on our server. The down side of this is that you have to be logged onto the server to access it where as here you can get it from anywhere. I like that part of it but I must say I am worried about the fact that anyone can post on your wiki and can edit it as well. I would like to experiment more with using just a select group that is allowed to edit or delete on the wiki.
Wikis differ from blogs in that anyone can change your content on the page. I would want to have people sign up and log on to use my wiki for accountably reasons.
I would worry that someone might edit something that was not appropriate or delete something that I spent a lot of time on.

Blogs are peoples opinions or someone’s personal thoughts. There can be factual information posted and linked on blogs as well as wikis. You can read and post your comments on someone’s blogs but you can not edit it and change the owners content like you can on wiki. Students and new users need to know that they shouldn’t just believe everything they read on the internet. They need to verify information especially if it is on a new wiki. I think a major issue with blogs, wikis and school/teacher websites it keeping them current. Finding time to do all this can be an issue.
I plan to spend some more time this summer working on this Thing 11.

Thing 10

I enjoyed the wikis that gave me links to other resources. I am always looking for new ideas and I enjoy the following ones the most: http://educationalsoftware.wikispaces.com/ and
http://eclassresources.wikispaces.com/
My major issues would be with time to create and keep them up. I would have issues with the fact that anyone can edit them and the there is a cost to protect them. I would like to try it out and since I am new to this I would need more experience with them before I could answer if it is worth the fight.

Monday, April 21, 2008

Thing 9











Make your own free clipart like this @ www.TXT2PIC.com with free web based tools (hundreds of image generators that run through a web broswer, no software to buy or install).


I am so excited while doing Thing 9 I figured out how to post the Spell Flickr in Thing 8. I was able to copy it into my blog. I found some issues with the site links. ImageGenerator.org is not working right now but by surfing the site I found these
http://www.customsigngenerator.com/ or http://www.signgenerator.org/links.htm. Not all sites are free however so you have to play around with it.
I couldn’t get the Post it note to work for me. I also didn’t realize while doing Thing 8 I crossed over into the site to used for Thing 9. I some how found the Big Huge Lab site in Thing 8. I really had fun with these sites and was so excited to find so many things to do with photos. Again I can thing of things I could use personally like for scrapbooking and stuff but safe things to do I will have to work on. I also found this site that you could use to create a talking picture: http://www.blabberize.com/
I posted mine at the bottom of the page. I got the microphone to work the first time around but didn’t have the mouth right and then I lost the sound. Will try and work on that later. Think it might be my microphone and not me. I think it would be fun to add these to Powerpoints and on our school website.
I really enjoyed these lessons but did struggle through them more than the others.I also made some comments on the site blog today.

Thing 8

I really missed the “How To” videos use in the past sections. I spent too much time trying to figure out how to download/copy the spell with flickr into either word or my blogs. I never did get it into my blog.

I love photography so I spent the most time playing with the jigsaw site and the cool stuff they had there to do with photos (the posters, frames, speech bubbles, pocket albums etc.)
It took me a long time to figure out the retrievr, flickr montoger and the flickr color pickr. I didn’t really enjoy them too much.

The flickr color pickr was different but not sure how I would ever use it unless I guess I had more pictures saved and wanted to tag a picture of my own and try to get them to come up to change the color of them.
I think I would use these sites/tools more for personal use or for letters to parents. Maybe could use them on our school webpage under the scrapbook section.

The flickr memry site could be used maybe in a Biology or History classes to match thing that go together if you had the pictures saved for them. Could use for terms that go together. I think this would be time consuming because you would have to take pictures of everything and download them.

The retrievr site well lets just say I can’t draw with a pen let alone a mouse. I don’t think I would use this much or the Sudoku puzzle except just to inform my students it is a site they could use to explore for an online experience.

The Flickr Montager tool, here again I would be afraid bad pictures might come up in their search. I did one on World War I and there were some cool “real pictures” that came up. This could be used in a PowerPoint presentation.
I enjoyed exploring this site and now want to also explore photobucket and see if they have any extras.

Sunday, April 20, 2008

Thing 7

Thing 7:
If you were teaching technology you could use this site like 23 things is using it.
Flickr could be used in the classroom by having students assigned to document a topic using pictures. With the new on line requirements students could use flickr to store their pictures as they go.Teachers could monitor the students work as well.
Teachers/school district/ yearboo classes/School organizations could use this to post pictures of activities and events. We have a school website and links to Flickr pictures could be posted on the schools site.

You could post a picture of the week and ask student to post a comment each week giving them credit for their posts.
You could assign students to create an autobiography with pictures and have each student post on each others pictures.

The problems faced here would be the same problems I feel we will face through most of these 23 things. Not every one has a computer with internet access. Control over content of picture, comment posted and search results when searching the site would all be an issue. Sometimes filters on school computers and Acceptable use policies that forbid downloading from the internet.

I love photography so this was one of my favorite things. I framed my pictures on a site called http://www.picnik.com/app#/home/welcome. I enjoyed looking at other peoples photos. Hope you enjoy mine.

Friday, April 18, 2008

Thing 6



Thing 6
I love dragonflies so I did a search on dragonflies. I could not believe how may pictures came up. I spent 40 minutes looking at them. I picked the one below because it has the most beautiful background in it. I love the sun in the background. I look to spend more time this summer on Flickr.
I figured out hour to pull up back blogs on bloglines. One thing is for sure you can’t be afraid to click around on the sites.
Us oldies are afraid we might mess something up or lose something. Well at least this oldie.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Thing 5

Thing 5
Signing up for bloglines was not hard at all but boy did I have difficulty scribing to the blogs. The first way went fine but the second way didn’t do what it said it would. I got a different window. After playing around I got a box that let me check off different types of blogs in the 2 cents one. It worked but I am not sure how.

The last one took me the longest. I could not get the blog link to show on my task menu. I tried about 5 times and each time it said the link had been added but I could not get the blog button to show on my menu bar. I finally went into favorites click on links opened it up from there. Then the button appeared. So don’t ask me how I did that one. Searching for blogs took me a long time so many to choose from. At this time I am not sure how I would use RSS unless I set up a blog for my students to use and I could check there posts from there. I will have to practice this more before using it with others.

I found a neat site for lesson plans at http://www.nea.org/lessons/index.htmlx.
I have to ask this question. When I ckicked the folder on bloglines it gave me 10 posted lesson ideas and then when I went back to see them they were not there. Just a link to their site. How do you get them back?
Well this thing 5 was not as easy. I have to practice more before I can recommend things to others.

Thing 4

Thing 4

It is amazing how much it out there on the web. I think RSS is a great tool to help organize your favorites. For me I might be able to get to them more because they are in one place. There just isn’t enough hours in the day to spend reading all the blogs available. Even having them in one place during the school year I can see time as an issue. Maybe in the summer I could enjoy blogging and reading blogs more.
Having this tool will definitely make it easier to spend more time reading then trying to surf to find your favorites.
Setting up account was easy with the help of the video clips.

Thing 3 Survey:
Tally on my survey. 1. 5 out of 40 have phones but can’t send text messages.
2. 35 out of 40 have a computer with internet access at home. 3. 36 out of 40 know how to send text messages. 4. 34 out of 40 have email accounts. 5. 26 out of 40 have myspace accounts. 6. 26 out of 40 use Instant messaging. 7. 15 out of 40 have blogs that are not myspace. 8. 20 out of 40 blog on other sites.
Finding or Conclusion: Not all students have computers and cell phones so this could be an issue at some point.

Monday, April 14, 2008

Thing 3

I could use blogs for assignment boards, study information and question and answer blogs. For my History class I could use it as a current events reporting tool. I could post topic of discussion or debate. Could take surveys for the up coming elections.

I think some of my students might enjoy writing on the computer verses the writing and reporting on issues using pen and paper. I think I will take a poll tomorrow and ask: 1.How many students have a myspace? 2.Hhow many use instant messenger?
3.How many have a blog site? 4.How many blog on websites?

I would have several concerns about blogging with my students. I would have issues with keeping the content clean and appropriate. Students can have hidden messages and can bully or pick on others over the internet. Privacy would be a big issue keeping private matters off the blogs. Not every student has a computer to access the blogs. After watching the video on changing the settings I see that you can have the posts or comments sent to you before they are posted onto your blog. This would help with some of the issues I stated above but could be very time consuming if you require students to post often. Trying to keep a school website up to date is often difficult for me to do.

Teacher could use blogs for things like professional development in a district or building. They could be used to communicate team ideas and teaching across the curriculum ideas. Teacher could use to post pacing guides on their subjects to see how others are doing that teach the same subject. Could use them for staff development and school improvement discussions. A great way to communicate and reflect on issues as a group.

I completed thing 3. I have to say that I liked being able to post a comment and see it shortly after posting it on the blogs. One site I posted on required that it be viewed before it would be posted. As the one posting I would rather be able to see it right away. However I do understand why someone would want to view before allowing others to post. I think if I were using it with students I would set it up so that I had to view all postings. I find the videos to be very helpful in each lesson. Time flies when doing/learning these “things.

Thing 2 Post

I was so excited about starting to blog that I didn’t pay attention to the full assignment.

I am participating in 23 things to help me become a more techno teacher.
I hope to learn some insight as how to use technology in my classroom.
I want to keep my students engaged in learning and like the video said bring some richness into my classroom. I think my students would pass out if I said pull out your cell phones for this next lesson. The only downfall is that not all of my students have cell phones. I know that is hard to believe but it is true.

I am interested in learning about podcasting and creating and using youtube. Our school computers block out youtube for the students but we can sometime access it on a teacher log in.

I am from the old school and typing on the computer off the top of my head is not the easiest for me. My thoughts get ahead of my typing skills. I like to write on paper and then type so it is really different for me just to type and then post.
I think I will enjoy the post or comments back the most. It is different not knowing who is posting but I look forward to it.

I am not worried about who will read my posts because I have control over what I write. I think when we put things in writing we have to be careful not to come across with a negative or bad tone in our writing. Sometimes words on paper sound different than words in person.
I am looking forward to learning 23 things and I hope it doesn’t get too difficult as time goes on. I was not sure where to find the “participants blogs but I found them today. So I was excited. I learned the page you create or log onto on your own blog is different. So I am learning. Looking forward to thing 3

Sunday, April 13, 2008

GET SMART WITH THING 1

This is my very first post. I read lesson 1 and wow there is so many things I am looking forward to learning. I must say I am afraid I won’t be able to do half of the 23 three things.
The first lesson Video had some really neat ideas but seems limited with the amount of resources we have in our classrooms. ( at least at the school I’m at)
I have made a copy of my blog information and I an not quite sure what is going to happen when I post this. Not sure I will be able to find my way back here to post again. So this is just my first post and first test to see if I can do this.
Agent 99 trying to get smart.