Finally the end...err beginning......

I now have a lot of really cool tools and tricks that I can use everyday in my classroom. I learned about a lot of new sites and gadgets but also some tricks about things I already used. Now I would like to sit down and really organize my toolbar and all the bookmarking sites I have to make them cohesive yet not repeating.  The sky really is the limit and I can make a world of a difference now with these resources.  At first the class seemed like a nonsense class that wouldn't really help but I have learned many extremely useful things that I may have been lost without.  The only thing I would change is the way things are assigned.  The assignments themselves were great but I'd like more cooperative learning and group work.

I plan to blog and read blogs to add information to my bookmarking sites at least once a week.  In a year and a half when I graduate, I should have a numerous amount of resources already in the palm of my hand.

Thing #23

AT the bottom of the 23 Tings home page there is a disclaimer that says, "*Note: This project is loosely based upon the website 43Things (which allows you to set and track personal goals) and the Stephen Abram article titled 43 Things I (or You) might want to do this year (Information Outlook - Feb 2006)." This tell me straight forward that it was taken from Stephen Abram's 43 Things and where it says loosely based upon, it tells us that it has been modified. I think Creative Commons can be taught when explaining cheating and how it affects the other person. You could use a set of graded papers and switch the names. When the students complain that it was their paper but someone else's name and grade you can relate it to creative commons.

Thing #22

I love this site. I have a little difficulty at first but then I figured it out. I thought as you add things you could under one tab. So I sat there with one link and one tab for like 10 minutes. I wish there was a way to embed files. There may be and I just haven't found it yet. I will be definitely using this for other things as well. I will use this to plan for lessons and discipline and the set up for my classroom. I can also share with other teachers and we can help each other out.

Random Tips, Tricks, & Ideas

Thing #21

This is my first time with something like this and it is absolutely ingenious. I love it. It really personalizes slide shows even though you don't personally do it. I loved how easy it was and how well it ran. We could definitely use this to share pictures or videos from field trip, events, and happenings. This is great for end of the year parties or going-away parties. I am definitely going to use this and may even pay for the larger videos.

Make your own slide show at Animoto.

Thing #20

I chose a video from a group called historyteachers. They use common songs and create parodies to teach history lessons. They are awesome and the students love them. Since teachers made them they are clean and focus around standards for the most part. YouTube is a really great site once you become experienced. I think an advanced search should be added as an option because there have been several times when I couldn't find a video yet it was still there. I do like how you can create a favorite playlist. I plan on sitting down one day and creating a playlist for each subject area. That way when I begin to teach I will have several resources and seem cool ;-)

Thing #19

I surfed The Gather and found it rather interesting.  It had more intelligent conversations than "what I found in my shower drain".  It also offers opportunities to debate on controversial topics.  It isn't fun to debate with someone you care about because it gets personal and emotional.  However, you are free to speak your mind on The Gather.
     I also checked out Ning but found out you have to pay.  It looks really interesting and once I have a real job, I may fork out the money to become a part of some groups.

The TeacherPop website was cool.  I'll have to spend some time and add people and reach out to some to really get the full experience.  I did reach out to Tonya Haley and commented on her page.  I also tried to embed the Ning badge.  Let's hope it work :-)



Visit TeacherPop

Thing #14

     The first website I tried was Bubbl.us and created a mind map.  I made a map for my Reading 4050 class.  I used the characters in a book and showed how they related to the protagonist.  A mind map primarily shows relationships.

      Next I used Gliffy to create a flow chart off events during an accident in this same story.  A flow chart shows a succession of ideas.  The experience was extremely easy and actually quite enjoyable.  Both charts were easily exported and then I uploaded here as images.  I initially chose these two because I figured with their names they would either be easy or amusing.  They were both easy.