Get in Gear

Thing #11.5

2010-07-17T09:56:00.000-07:00

1. What were your favorite discoveries or exercises on this learning journey?

I really enjoyed learning about Wordle, Bookr, and Voicethread and I see those as resources I can use immediately in the classroom. As a trainer, I was glad to explore the screen capture tools and plan on using some of them to create online trainings in the future.

2. How has this program assisted or affected your lifelong learning goals?

This program has really helped me keep up to date with new technologies. I can't quite believe how much "stuff" is out there that has been there for years that I didn't and still don't know about! While I learned quite a bit new things during this course, it mainly encouraged me to keep up to date and keep exploring resources that are on the web and changing daily.

3. Were there any take-a-ways or unexpected outcomes from this program that surprised you?

See answer to #3.

4. What could we do differently to improve upon this program’s format or concept?

I think it could be made more interactive if participation in one online chat was required or something of the sort. If there were multiple dates that you could choose to participate and then guiding discussion questions, it could be quite successful. If you don't know anyone else participating in the course then it's not as easy to ask for help. In-person optional classes were offered, but online chats might be beneficial as well. Obviously the course needs to keep changing year to year to keep up with what's new and happening in the web 2.0/social media world.

Thing #11

2010-07-16T21:08:00.001-07:00

Digital Citizenship

Teaching digital citizenship is of course important, and gets looked over all too often likely due to time constraints. We don't have time to teach handwriting anymore, when are we going to teach digital citizenship? Integrated in lessons of course.

Any time students are on a computer, iTouch, iPad, etc. they should have reminders of digital citizenship. To me the first things they need to learn is to evaluate what they stumble across on the web. Is it a good resource? A safe resource? Is it research based or is it an opinion? Are you certain? How can you check?

Students also need to learn about copyright issues, which is complicated enough for adults, but if we can at least teach students the idea that they cannot claim and use other people's stuff without citing sources and/or asking permission then this is a step in the right direction.

The argument presented in several articles about helping students evaluate safe websites instead of just having unsafe ones blocked is interesting. As a school it would be too risky to keep unsafe websites from being blocked, but the argument is a good one. When students are on their own and they stumble across these sites they need to be able to make their own decision not to go there. It's a sticky situation.

Finally, there's the situation of manners online and with technology responses. Being polite in chatrooms, checking spelling in emails, and realizing that tone doesn't often come across in texts and things of the sort are things that students need to be directly taught.

A lesson in my class would likely be integrated with a content based lesson. For example, let's say we are talking about a certain event in history. Students could all be on computers and directed to chat rooms where they meet with each other and carry on conversations based around discussion questions regarding the event. In the process they would be encouraged and supervised so that they are using online manners with each other and citing sources from the textbook to prove opinions when necessary.

Thing #10

2010-07-16T20:43:00.000-07:00

Virtual Worlds

I enjoyed checking out SecondLife but had a hard time figuring out what exactly to do once I was in there. I understand you can go and see different place but it was working extremely slow and I honestly couldn't get a lot out of it. I understand, from reading some of the links provided, how great it could be for virtual field trips or online classes. I would worry about safety though and I noticed many people on other Library2Play blogs said the same thing. Anyone can say anything at any time and it just pops up for all to view! I assume there's a way to change this setting, however, and it might be something worth exploring more.

Thing #9

2010-06-19T12:30:00.000-07:00

Slideshare

Slideshare, or any of the similar applications are very helpful in giving student presentations a purpose. I've found that if students know their work will be published they put much more effort into it. This gives those presentations a publishing format, that can then be shared with others. 280 Slides is an excellent option for those without PowerPoint, as is Google Docs Presentations. PowerPoint presentations can be quite boring and overused. Adding audio and publishing them gives them a little spin but I still prefer students to be more creative in their presentation tools when possible.

Thing #8

2010-06-19T11:44:00.001-07:00

Screencasting

I did quite a bit of screencasting a couple years ago when I completed an internship with Pearson and created some online trainings for them. I was able to use Camtasia, which was really easy to use and edit videos. I was interested in trying some of these free screencast tools to see how they add up. I was disappointed in Jing, but used it to create the short video below on how teachers can check their school email from home (I'm amazed at how many teachers don't know how to do this!). The screen did not seem to record the same area it appeared it would and I had to make some adjustments for this. When embedding it, it only shows up part of the screen so the link is also included. I'm currently working on a Mac, which I'm not very familiar with, and this could have been part of the problem. The audio was not what I wanted it to be on any of it and I know this is a setting on the Mac but I couldn't quite fix that.

I also tried Screencast-o-Matic. I liked that it didn't need to be downloaded and it highlighted where the cursor was on the screen. I wanted to try Go View because of its "edit" feature, but it's not available for Mac.

As a trainer, screencasting is great to teach educators how to use different tools. I think it would be great to have students create simple screencasts for others to use. Particularly with a technology club. I imagine this could be used for student presentations as well, giving emphasis to the research process and not just the final result. I hope to explore more of the screencast applications to find one that really works the way I'd like it to. But for now...

checkingemailfromhome

Thing #6

2010-06-12T13:54:00.000-07:00

I-Touch Apps

I've been working on finding social studies apps for the social studies department. Some of my favorites so far are Oregon Trail (though the LITE version is very limited, really needs to be purchased), and the various apps giving what happened on this day in history (On This Day, Today in History, Daily History). I think it would be great to incorporate some of these things on morning announcements. Of course the same information could be found on the Internet and I'm not sure the iTouch is necessary for that.

I really like the idea of using iTouches with groups of students for podcasting. With thumbtack mics this is easily accomplished. Students can take the iTouch wherever they need to interview others, or report "live on location" from field trips and other events.

I also like the idea of using iTouches as a listening center. Our kindergarten is going to implement that this year. With the right equipment they will be able to have four students using one iTouch as a listening center. I have no doubt kindergarteners will easily navigate an iTouch and be able to use it appropriately.

Students could also use an iTouch to work in pairs to research a topic. Lessons from a teacher could be accessed via TeacherTube, a blog or wiki, or audio put on the iTouch.

I know there's more that can be done, it's just a matter of imagining it and then figuring out how to do it!

Thing #5

2010-06-10T13:44:00.000-07:00

Microblogging

I've been a member of Facebook for awhile and I love it just for the ability to connect and stay in touch with others. It's interesting how I feel very disconnected from my friends that aren't on Facebook. My sister started using it this year with her high school students. She created a new Facebook account for her English classes and started asking her students to be her "friends" on this account. They were willing to join and soon were "friending" each other, which was great. Students weren't required to be on Facebook, but she was able to put homework reminders and answer questions in an application they were already using. She was amazed what students would post on their facebook sites, that she could then see since she was their "friend." I think this can be a great way for older students to communicate. I don't think I'd be willing to try it with Elementary students...maybe their parents.

I've had a little experience with Twitter and didn't love it. I've found that most of my friends use their Facebook account to accomplish the same goal as Twitter. However as a professional tool, it could be useful in keeping up with educational developments, getting opinions, new ideas, etc. But then it seems just like something else to keep up with...so I'm undecided on my opinion of it at the moment but I think I might use this summer to try it out as a professional resource and see how that goes.

I love the idea of backchanneling at staff developments. I can't stand being in a staff development where the presenters insist on laptops being closed and put away (as one I was at recently was...). I learn better by doing, communicating, and taking notes online. Presenters have got to get to the point that they realize that while we are teaching to different kids, they are presenting to different teachers. I love the technology meetings I go to because being on a laptop and doing three things while listening to the presenter is not only acceptable, it's pretty much expected. I'm excited about trying backchanneling while presenting at Teacher U using Todaysmeet.com. Then maybe I can talk other staff I'm presenting with at the beginning of the year into using it for our August staff developments. It sure could make things more interesting!

Thing #4

2010-06-10T12:16:00.001-07:00

YouTube, TeacherTube, SchoolTube

I uploaded a video of an iguana from last summer to Teacher Tube. It was very simple and is currently being reviewed by staff before it is viewable. Then I uploaded the same video to youtube. It is instantly accessible here and is below

I love being able to pull up videos to enhance lessons and I used some Youtube videos this year as we were studying caterpillars and butterflies to show the butterfly emerging from a chrysalis in time lapse. The kids were in awe. I like how Teacher Tube videos are reviewed before posted so they are safer for kids, however if you want your own video to be instantly accessible then Youtube is the way to go.

Putting student created work (their own video or a video of them doing something) is always a plus because it gives students a purpose and a way to publish to the world. We're constantly looking for motivation for students and this is another of those ways. They can share with others, whether it is other students, family members, or the public.

I'm very interested in SchoolTube and seeing what we can do with that this year. It looks like, for a price, you can broadcast live streaming video, which might be a great solution for our morning announcements. We currently broadcast on the tv but we have lots of televisions going out and not getting fixed. With all the Activboards on our campus now, if we could broadcast online and students could watch on the Activboard it would be awesome. Of course we'd probably need to keep the television connection for days when the Internet was down, etc. I've emailed SchoolTube to get more information and see if this will work out the way I'm envisioning.

Thing #3

2010-06-08T19:20:00.000-07:00

Skype

I really enjoyed exploring all the possibilities of Skype. I knew a little bit about Skype before, but now I'm really motivated to try it out this year. I know our librarian is interesting in trying it out, I think with our PGP students. I'd love to use it with all students during our cultural arts week, which we will be studying Spain this year. I love the idea of having classes skype with authors, illustrators, museum curators, etc. I think most people are willing to help students if they are asked. I can even imagine guest readers such as grandparents in different states and countries participating in our class via Skype. Having a partner Skype class would be lots of fun and really open student's eyes up to different cultures and situations of others. Looking forward to trying it out...

Thing #2

2010-06-07T18:32:00.000-07:00

Image Generators

WORDLE- Below is a Wordle created off of my sister's blog about my nephews, Braden and Garrett. I think this would be an awesome tool to use in writing. After students have typed their writing they could paste it into Wordle. Quickly they would know what words were used frequently and what it appears their main focus was. They would be able to see in a visually pleasing way what their story is about. What a cool way to make a cover for a book their creating or provide a preview for others of their writing.

VOICE THREAD- Below is a simple Voicethread I made showing my classroom decorations this past year. I really liked how simple it was to make and the entire site is very user-friendly and would require very little teaching on what to do. Students could use this again in writing to publish their work in a digital storytelling format. I know our art teacher is using digital photography with students and they could showcase their work in a voicethread. They could also use it for retelling, and presenting research projects.

ANIMOTO- We use Animoto on our campus and have a classroom code for student access. Students use it in many ways, very similar to those listed above for Voicethreads. They are also great for a project culmination, to show images from a trip or of a particular place, at an awards ceremony or portfolio sharing, and so much more. They could use it to create adds or "sell" a product they create. It's also easy to use and requires little instruction as students can navigate and figure it out by themselves pretty easily.

BOOKR

Bookr looks like a great tool to motivate writing and we are always looking for ways to do that! I loved this project created by 1st and 5th graders together. A great idea! This could be used in so many ways, both in groups or independently. Each student could create a page or students could create their own books to share with others. I do think, with all this online creation students need their own blogs to showcase it all! We might inspire writers after all!

L2P2 Thing #1

2010-06-07T17:28:00.000-07:00

The Networked Student: The Movie

I've seen this video before and I think the simplified video on rather advanced technology makes for an interesting contrast. I think the student discussed is very characteristic of many students in college today and an increasing number of high school students. I completed my master's program in a very similar manner, though the technology wasn't as involved as portrayed in the video. The teacher's role is important and requires a right type of person. It needs to be someone that stays up to date with technology and can and will model correct online communication using these advanced technologies. It's easy for students and teachers to get lazy and not do their part when working online. People used to say that only certain type of people were made for online courses, but I believe all students can be successful as long as they are taught and given the skills needed for these courses. A librarian could serve in this role if she has ample time to put into it.

Thing #23

2009-08-06T20:35:00.000-07:00

What were your favorite discoveries or exercises on this learning journey?
I really enjoyed those exercises that involved making or doing something and not just checking out what's out there. Setting up a newsreader account, Rollyos, and the online image generators were some of my favorites.

How has this program assisted or affected your lifelong learning goals?
I'm always looking for new things and projects to try out in my classroom. There are tons of things that could be my "projects" this year.

Were there any take-a-ways or unexpected outcomes from this program that surprised you?
I have my master's in instructional technology so I wasn't sure how much of this would be new to me but I'm happy to say about 3/4 of it was brand new information. It's so hard to keep up with everything and I learn so well in a format like this that I can't wait to do 11.5 more things- I just wish it was offered throughout the year!

What could we do differently to improve upon this program’s format or concept?

The only thing would be more activities that you create something. It takes longer, however, so breaking up the 23 things to several different classes with more time to explore and create would be beneficial.

If we offered another discovery program like this in the future, would you choose to participate?
Absolutely

How would you describe your learning experience in ONE WORD or in ONE SENTENCE, so we could use your words to promote 23 Things learning activities?
Awesome

Thing #22

2009-08-06T20:30:00.000-07:00

I like the idea of Nings, however most of the ones I looked at are a bit overwhelming with the amount of information. This is likely a downfall to giving those with little knowledge about web development and technical skills that much free reign to make decisions on what and how things should appear. I think Nings would be great for high schools and colleges- probably a bit much for my 2nd graders. It would be great for faculty however. I'm "friends" with several teachers at my school on facebook and it can, at times, be a bit intrusive. If we had a school Ning it could serve a multitude of purposes....an interesting idea...hmm...

Thing #21

2009-08-06T20:06:00.000-07:00

I like Photostory okay but it doesn't do all I'd like it too. I just wish it had more preferences really- like the ability to move your title around besides just top, bottom, and center. I've made a lot of podcasts in the past using Audacity and I love doing that with my students. Below is a simple Photostory project using some pictures from some beaches I went to this summer.

Thing #20

2009-08-06T17:24:00.000-07:00

I searched for educational technology and found a ton, of course. I enjoyed this video on the history of technology in education. I wish there was more on recent technologies though. I love having access to numerous videos for my classroom, I just know that it's so important to preview them before showing them to students. In addition, it can be frustrating not to have access to youtube but there's obvious reasons for that.

Thing #19

2009-08-06T16:17:00.000-07:00

I already LOVE quite a few of these, such as pandora.com (which you can't get to in SBISD and I HATE cause it could be great for classroom background music for all sorts of purposes), linkedin, Facebook, iGoogle, and more. I explored Last.fm (very similar to Pandora- not sure if it's available in SBISD but I'm doubting it), Yahoo Pipes, Frappr, and then spent most of my time exploring Twitter. I hate to admit that I didn't know much about Twitter prior to this because it's obviously a big deal, however I just keep avoiding it. But, since SBISD is twittering and I can actually get staff development hours for spending time exploring it, I figured why not. :)

I really like using Twitter to follow news of organizations that I'm a part of or am interested in. Following friends on twitter still seems kinda silly. I wonder if I should have a classroom Twitter for my parents to follow what we do. Hmmm...

Thing #18

2009-08-06T16:06:00.000-07:00

I've used Google.docs a bit in the past and I really like that different people can be working on the same thing at once, although I can see this as a problem as things wouldn't always get updated just right. It's easier than emailing a document if the other people have a google account. I tried using it once with my boyfriend and he just didn't want to spend the time creating a google account so it was easier to send him a Word document. I think it would work great in the classroom for group projects- especially into the upper grades (not so sure about my 2nd graders using this one). I like OpenOffice okay but it does have to be downloaded. I don't think it's a great idea for a school district to only use OpenOffice and get rid of Microsoft Office because students need to know Microsoft Office for the future, as its not going to go away.

Thing #17

2009-08-06T16:03:00.000-07:00

http://rollyo.com/lchafin/get_in_gear/

I really like Rollyos and I never knew about them before! For this one I put in most of the Texas professional organizations for teachers like TCTA and ATPE. Then I can search for something like "lunch" and find out rules, updates, etc. that all has to do with teaching in Texas. I can see this coming in handy all the time! It would be great to use with students to teach them how to search but limit the sites they go to. I will definitely be using this with my 2nd graders this year when we do our bird and famous people research projects.

Thing #16

2009-08-06T15:20:00.000-07:00

I can't wait to try using a wiki in my 2nd grade classroom this year. I want to try it out with homework and maybe learning stations. Then with our new interactive whiteboard we can read it over and discuss together.

Thing #15

2009-07-06T17:52:00.000-07:00

Library 2.0 is all about easy access. It's thinking "I want to be able to do ___" and there being a way out there to do it, or an easy way to create it. For libraries, it means providing these resources for others who don't know they're out there. It's assisting students and teachers to learn about Web 2.0 resources that make research and other projects easy and accessible.

Thing #14

2009-07-06T16:56:00.000-07:00

Obviously a tag search is more specific and brings results that others have tagged for this specific search. I explored the popular blogs and just can't believe that I haven't heard or been to any of the most popular blogs in the world (and I thought I was technologically savvy :) I was surprised at many of the popular searches- as they seemed quite random and unspecific, such as "taskbar," "news," and "google."

Technorati could definitely be useful in finding educational blogs and tagging blogs for an easy return.

Thing #13

2009-07-01T19:57:00.000-07:00

I like social networking and delicious for the ability to access "bookmarks" from any computer. By creating a Network it would be easy to have students access the network and guide them on sites for research, web hunts, etc. In addition, teachers could tag sites used throughout the year for teaching purposes and students would have the ability to go back to those sites at home or at a later time for reteaching or further exploration.

Thing #12

2009-07-01T13:22:00.000-07:00

Commenting on blogs can serve a wide variety of purposes. After reading the articles or blogs suggested I think it's important to remember that 1) Bloggers want to be read (why else write on the Internet?) 2) Inviting comments is an easy way to get comments!

I also liked the idea of using links in your comments, especially if it's something you too have written about and you link it back to your blog.

I enjoyed reading and commenting on Library2Play Blogs and in doing so I was amazed to find how technologically literate so many teachers really are (is it bad to say that sometimes you just wouldn't know it!?)

Outside of Library2Play, I commented on Not Just a Weather Report, which is a blog by one of my sister's friends/coworkers about her daily and family life. I read it regularly because Stormy (the author) is a great, humorous writer. I also commented on Notes from the School Psychologist, which was is a Best Education Blog nominee for the Bloggers Choice Awards. It's humerous and educational. Lot's of "I know!" moments!

Thing #11

2009-07-01T13:12:00.000-07:00

I love LibraryThing and I had no idea it was out there. I have an absolute ton of books in my classroom and I never know what I have. Most of them came from my mother when she retired or my little sister as she grew up. I've always wanted to make a spreadsheet of them all but the time it would take didn't seem worth it. With LibraryThing I could do this much faster, especially because you don't have to type in all the information. Then, when I need to find out if I have a book (before I look forever) I can search for it on LibraryThing. Yay!

There are lots of helpful teacher groups on there. I think it would be fun to have a group for my classroom and have students login and share their thoughts on books we read in class.

Thing #10

2009-07-01T12:47:00.000-07:00

I used Silly Scenes to create this simple picture. The possibilities with these things is endless! Kids would have a lot of fun putting in their own pictures and then using the picture as a story starter.

I then used http://free.text2logo.com/ to create the 4th of July sign above. There are tons of ways change words for different "moods" or fonts. Fun! This could be used in the classroom for all sorts of projects or to jazz up Activboard lessons.

Thing #9

2009-07-01T07:37:00.000-07:00

The Google Blog Search and Technorati Blog Search are both clear and easy to use. I don't particularly like sites that appear "too busy" like Topix.net. It's too much information on one page, which is hard to navigate and focus on.

I enjoyed looking at how other 2nd grade teachers are using blogs in their classrooms, some as websites and others as a place for students to post answers to questions. I would like to use the latter this year with my students. I love the Cool Cat Teacher Blog. It has such an abundance of information on educational technology!

Thing #8

2009-07-01T07:26:00.001-07:00

I used Google Reader and found that RSS and readers are much simpler than I ever thought. I had to create an RSS feed for a podcast I created in an online podcasting class but I never quite understood what I was doing- just used an online "wizard" to create it. The video explained how I would use RSS, and I love the idea! I added several personal blogs I read, some blogs and sites I like to look at for teaching ideas, some news sites, Cooking Light recipes, and Women's Heath Magazine. I love that I can combine all my interests in one place! This is a great way for educator's to stay up to date on what is happening in education, new ideas, books, policies, etc., as well as keep up with each other.

Thing #7

2009-07-01T07:02:00.000-07:00

I was already pretty familiar with Google tools but I enjoyed exploring them, as there are so many and are constantly changing. I haven't used any in my classroom before but I would like to try use Google Docs for students to work on group presentations at home. They could each make their own additions to a presentation and work on it seemlessly, both at school and at home. Even 2nd graders could learn how to do this as long as they have Internet access at home. It would be a challenge but I'm always up for that!

I also like Google Calendar and explored it some. I would like to add it to my class website this year and include things like birthdays, school events, tests, etc. As we start to plan out the year I will be sure to come back to Google Calendar.

Thing #6

2009-07-01T06:54:00.000-07:00

Mashups seem pretty random to me- I'm not sure how some people get ideas to create what they create. I really like the Trading Card Maker and the idea of creating card games for the classroom. I'm not sure exactly how this would work but I'm thinking of something like landforms and creating a "domino" or "I have, Who Has" type game where the picture at the top doesn't match with what's on bottom but you have to find what should match and line it up or read it out.

Thing #5

2009-07-01T06:40:00.001-07:00

I like Flickr for the ability to search for a wide range of photos that are available for student use. It would be great to use with digital storytelling and multimedia projects in various subject areas. We study weather in 2nd grade, and I found a variety of weather related groups with many pictures that students could label and identify types of weather, types of clouds, etc.

Thing #3

2009-06-24T21:34:00.000-07:00

I've had a fair amount of experience with blogs, primarily when I got the SBISD Podcasting Grant last year, so setting it up wasn't too hard for me. I've never done an online Avatar, only with Wii, so that was fun.

Thing #2

2009-06-24T20:57:00.000-07:00

I think I do a pretty good job of applying all of the habits of lifelong learners, but the easiest for me are probably using technology to my advantage and playing. I could spend hours "playing" with various pieces of technology and learning new things. It's quite a passion of mine. My biggest struggle is probably teaching/mentoring others. This may come as a surprise to a lot of people because I do help others a lot and give trainings/presentations but it's not something I particularly enjoy or that comes easy, I do it however, to challenge myself.