Thing 14 redux

I couldn't get the video that I linked in my original thing 14 to embed (I tried everything), so I am just embedding a youtube video that I found to show that I do know how to do this task.

Thing 17

Classroom 2.0 was very interesting and very overwhelming. I will say that the layout was easy enough to use. I liked that there was a place for beginers so that I didn't feel so overwhelmed. The tabs and drop down menus were also well laid out. This website definitely needs more time than I gave it, but I will go back and explore it more as the year progresses.

I also spent a good deal of time on the teaching digital history website. It was not as well mapped as the classroom 2.0 site was, but it had some interesting ideas. I did have to do some sifting to find information and teaching ideas that were useful, but I could see how I could utilize it in the future. I guess I am still intimidated by these site which prevents me from jumping head first into using them in my teaching. I also feel that I need to observe for a little longer how others use it. I am not quite sure of its application, but I am going to take baby steps and see if I can begin to figure out ways in which I can integrate it into my teaching.

As far as microblogging goes, I am not opposed to using it to enhance classroom discussion. In fact, I would really like the opportunity to try it with my class. I fear though that it will not have desired affect because few students have internet access at home or at school. I am still trying to keep an open mind about PLN, but it is going to take a while before I embrace it.

Thing 23

Looking back at this course, I learned many interesting and new things to do with technology in my classroom. Podcasting, youtube, and google docs are three things that I am planning on integrating into my teaching next year. I know that it will be difficult since we are firewalled from just about everything at AHS. However, I have become quite proficient at using the Zamzar converter so I think I will be able to work around the system.

Even though I was against it in the beginning, I am starting to see the value of Twitter. I may try to integrate it into some of my lessons. Obviously, I cannot require students to use it, especially since most of them do not have computers. However, I can post a topic for discussion and see what others on the internet have to say on the matter. After I get some feedback, then I can share that with my class and see how our deiscussion evolves from there.

While I still would not say that I am proficient at utilizing this technology, I would say that I am no longer functionally illiterate at it either. I am a work in progress and overall I really enjoyed this course.

Oops

Here's the amap I created.

Summer Break

Thing 22

The two tools that I chose were amap and twitter. I really like amap. It is a great graphic organizer that students can use to organize their thoughts. This would be a good tool to use when teaching AP students how to write their DBQ's and essays. I am linking mine in this blog.

The other one I explored more was twitter. I had written twitter off as a superficial toy that people use to "get more attention". However, I recently read an article in TIME magazine about twitter. It opened my mind. The article discussed how twitter could be used to have discussions and conversations on what amounts to current events headlines. Thinking about this on an educational level it blew my mind. I could use twitter to help my students (many of whom have never left Barrow County) get a world view. Even the students who have been to other places lack a well rounded world view. They know and believe what they have heard in their own little sphere. This could open them up to new concepts and points of view. I truly underestimated this tool and its value to society.

Thing 21

Pageflakes is a hard system to use. While I am sure that it that it has and will have benefits to classroom education, I did not experience any that were useful.

Thing 20

I was not really familiar with google docs before this. My mother-in-law has been trying to get my wife and me on board with the google calendar, but I never had any practical use or knowledge of it before this class.

I really like the idea of not having to back things up to a flashdrive or disc. I could have really used this a few years ago when I lost a final exam because I could not open the file. As far as using it, I will need to practice more with it. Can I just invite my barrow county email address to view it though? I want to use it, but the firewall makes that virtually impossible. If there was a way around it I would use it in a heartbeat.

The advantages for me are really great. I tend to lose things if I am not extremely organized. This is an effective way to keep track of my tests and syllabi without having to worry about my tiny flashdrive. I also like this because I do not have a printer in my classroom. This way I can cut down on the amount of time it takes to print things. I like this technology.

Thing 13

I had never used voicethreading before and I am still not 100% sure that I did it correctly or that you can access my comment (I can though). Though the practical application for this is evident, I think I will need to play around with it more in order to feel secure enough to utilize it with my class. Perhaps this summer I can work with it.

As I stated in the sandbox and on my comment, I could use this to further a class discussion or as a way to introduce and stimulate debate on a current events topic. I think that the voicethreading would be more useful on a daily basis. It would encourage classroom participation, etc. Like I said, I will need to explore it more in order to implement it effectively in class.

Thing 5d

I chose to write about President Obama's visit to Egypt. It was interesting to read some of the comments that the President made as well as the analysis. It seems that President Obama was well received which could positively open the doors between the Middle East and the US. A new line of communication needs to be established in order to secure our safety and ensure global stability. While the world is not going to change overnight, this is a step in the right direction.

Thing 19

This is probably the most painless activity that we have done yet. That, or I am just getting better at using the computer and all of its technological gadgets.

The programs that we used to produce the podcast were actually very user friendly. This could be useful in my teaching for a cooperative learning activity. Students could be placed into groups where they could read, analyze, and discuss one lesson in the text. After all of the groups created the podcasts, then they could all share what they learned with the class. What I really like about this is that not only could they access this podcast at school, but they could also access it at home when they are studying for a test.

I could also record and publish important notes or lecture highlights so that students could access the information from home if they had a question regarding something that they read or did not take clear enough notes on.

This could also benefit special needs students who need repetition or are auditory learners. The possibilities are boundless.

Thing #18

I subscribed to the Education Podcast with John Merrow on PBS.org. I listened to a few of the podcasts. This would be a great podcast to use as a discussion start point for professional development. In one podcast he was discussing the impact of the economic stimulus package on education. Basically, he said that if a child does not have the basic needs met at home, then he/she will not be able to perform at school. Not that he had anything to say that we do not already talk about at work anyway, but it was an interesting start point. This actually could be a great start point for a discussion with either AP or advanced economics class. How does the economic stimulus indirectly affect education and students in the classroom?

Thing #16

Plunking is very wierd. It is like the "What's on your mind?" bar on Facebook except you chronicle more of your life's mundane details. Does anyone really care enough to follow my every waking internet musing?

Thing #5c

While I was checking my reader I came across this article on the California earthquake that happened this weekend. My sister-in-law lives out there and she was only a few miles from the epicenter. As it turned out she is fine, but it was interesting that I was able to find something on my reader that was more pertainant. I am beginning to like to reader. It is like having a beautifully landscaped yard. If you don't keep the hedges constantly trimmed, then the overgrowth is unmanageable.

Thing 14

I have used teacher tube before. It is a great tool to utilize when you want to show students historical footage. Some of videos are incredibly hoakie. The link that I embedded was one that I heard was on Teacher Tube. (By the way, the comments on this video are extremely inappropriate. I would check out any video before I showed it t omake sure that comments were appropriate.) I never could nor never would show it to my students, but I looked at if for production value. All of the videos that I saw on Teacher Tube were very low tech as opposed to the more polished videos that You Tube has. Granted, You Tube has plenty of amatuer videos, but it is obvious that Teacher Tube was designed as a teaching toll and not just another way to seek 15 minutes of fame. I think that with some very basic video equipment a teacher could produce and post student work fairly easily.

I have come across some items on You Tube that I wanted to share with my students or other coworkers. I'm glad to know that there is a way to show those on my computer.

Thing 15

I found the Library Thing to be an interesting concept. I like the book recommendations. I searched for a book on a topic that I am quite familiar with to see what other books were suggesting along with it. I found that the recommendations were all books that I have read, but they were good selections. Perhaps I would use this if I were venturing out to a new genre.
This would be a good jumping off point for students to utilize when writing a report.

Thing 12

I visited BeFunky.com and Quizlet. I thought that they were both very interesting. I really liked befunky. I had fun taking a picture of my son and playing with it. I do not really see how I could use it in my teaching outside of making the material more "snappy". However, I will use it personally to make cards and funky paper for gifts, etc.

Quizlet was actually a bit of a disappointment. I thought that it would be great to use for helping my students prepare for their exams. I suppose that it could still be used for such, but it was not that interesting. It seems like a lot of work just to make glorified flashcards. If flashcards are all that we are making, then my students can do that on thier own. I did consider using it for actually assigning quizzes to students. It would be a whole lot easier to simply have my students take a quiz online and have the results sent to me. The only problem with that is there are not enough computers available at any given time to make this a viable option.

Thing #5b

I chose to follow one of my New York Times articles on my reader. I have heard lots of discussion on theradio about the pirate ships off the coast of Somalia. So I chose to follow that feed.

The article was interesting. I talked about how the pirates are stepping up thier attacks on American and European ships in that region. I am curious to see how it develops and what kind of effect it has on our economy and international trade.

Oops

I forgot to include the citations for the pictures on the slide show. Here they are now.

Photo # 1 Uploaded on March 4, 2008 by Seetwist

Photo # 2 http://www.flickr.com/photos/brianglanz/2555770034/ This photo was originally titled "Thieves Lair, 2004" Uploaded on June 6, 2008 by brian glanz

Photo # 3 http://www.flickr.com/photos/withayou/3006459630 Uploaded on November 5, 2008by withayou

Photo # 4 Inaguration photo Uploaded on January 20, 2009
by jurvetson

Thing 12

At first this task seemed quite daunting. However, the program itself was quite easy to use. It didn't take nearly as long as I initially thought that it would. Once again, the hardest part was using flickr. I actually would use this in my teaching. The slide.com program would be good to utilize when I update my powerpoint lectures. I think I may try to use this again for my personal use, just to get more practice with it.