Thing 23 Reflection

Take a few moments to reflect on your journey. You've covered a lot of material over the past ten weeks. What does it all mean? How has your thinking changed between Thing 1 and Thing 23? Has this program changed how you view the Internet or how view education in the digital world? What plans have you made for using these tools in and out of the classroom? How will you continue to learn about Web 2.0 tools? What are your big "take aways" from this experience?

I feel excited, energized, empowered, hopeful yet, frustrated. I am excited to be done and ready to continue to build my skills using the Web 2.0 tools. Energized, empowered, and hopeful because I want to use what I have learned to help my teachers teach and prepare my students for the 21st century. I am frustrated because I wanted to be done sooner to enable me to have more prepared before school starts. There were some obstacles that delayed me and I did spend more time on each Thing as I wanted to learn as much as I could before I moved on. I know when school starts it will not be possible to devote hours learning new stuff! I did have to spend hours as I had not used any of the tools, I had just heard about all of them.

I have a new understanding of the term "digital kid" and this was a great way to learn it. So many have talked about different books and articles on the subject but, completing this class made it meaningful and I truly understand what Alan November was talking about. Thank you Greg and Sue for spending your summer helping us all!!!! I knew kids liked to play on the computer but, I didn't really understand the power "being digital" provided or how it enables everyone to communicate and learn from each other. Hearing about it, seeing examples and knowing how to use it are very different. Slowly we will teach all the old dogs new tricks!

I didn't know where to start with the Web 2.0 tools before taking this class and I am not one to just go exploring and doing on the internet. In a very short time I have accomplished the ability to find and do what I want to do. Completing this class provided me with greater knowledge to fight for the tools my students and teachers need to do a better job in the classroom. I have seen how students are more engaged when using the computer and this class has increased the necessity for up-to-date equipment even more.

I plan to use and talk about as many of the tools as I can. It will take me time to get it all organized but, I feel each tool will add to anything I do in my personal or professional life. The tools will also save me time as they allow me to communicate in a better way with my students, colleagues, and friends. I have already used the internet to search, learn and communicate with people in both my professional and personal life from what I have learned.

Continuing to learn is going to be a snap. I have already discovered many new "things" from exploring with each "thing" I have done. I feel confident I now have the ability to learn about anything I hear about. This is why we need to enable, engage, and allow our students to be digital kids and empower them to be ready for their future.

This was fun, I just wish it was the middle of July instead of the middle of August! I also feel more comfortable about writing my thoughts for everyone to read. I don't even want to discuss what school was like when I was a kid, as it would reveal how old I really am. Yea!!!! I'm free to get going on a new and exciting school year. Thank you again Greg and Sue for making all this possible.

Thing 22 Create a Wiki

In your blog post be sure to include the link to your wiki. Then discuss your feelings about using a wiki. How does a wiki differ from a blog? When is one more appropriate to use than the other?

My first reaction to creating a wiki was this is something for classroom teachers and I probably won't use it very much. Now that I have played, I am ready to get started and the ideas are forming. I hope my principal and counselor will think this is a good idea and help me to formulate what we would like to use as a topic each month. For two years we have been having the elementary students work on a given asset each month and awarding one student from each class who has excelled with the given asset in an assembly. Voicing their thoughts on a wiki would allow all students to contribute and get recognition. I want to look at a few more wikis and determine how I want to allow the students to make their comments. If I have all the third, fourth, and fifth grade students commenting on this wiki, I want to be sure it is organized. If anyone has any suggestions, I would appreciate the help. Also, would it be possible for the younger students to participate?

I don't think any teachers at my school have ever used a wiki with their students and I am ready to get them started. I also feel it would allow me to collaborate more with teachers when they are working on projects with their students. If teachers would have their students do their projects on a wiki it would allow me to see what the students are being asked to do and what they are doing. It would allow me to be involved with class projects and require little one on one contact with a teacher. Yes, I love it, and can't wait to see what happens.

To me blogs are individual journals for posting thoughts, ideas, etc. and they allow others to post comments on what has been said. A wiki has endless possibilities and can contain very simple or very complicated chunks of information in many different forms. You are able to do so much more and have many more active participants with a wiki than with a blog. A wiki is created so others may learn from it and a blog is a means for someone to express themselves and allow others to read what they are thinking.

Thing 21 Wikis

Describe a wiki you found that inspires you to create one of your own. What hurdles might stand in the way of your using a wiki? What would it take to remove the hurdles? Is it worth the fight?

I couldn't stop looking at all the ideas and great projects students and educators are doing. I skimmed through the entire list and ended up checking out 15 different wikis from the Examples of Educational Wikis. I saw several examples of librarians using a wiki to have students respond to what they are reading and encourage reading. Summer Reading TMS was the best and it might be something I might try. Students in each grade level all read the same book and worked as a group to discuss and summarize the book. I also saw another wiki for HS students called Booktalking with You. It would be a great site for HS students to visit for suggestions for books to read. I will probably add this to my page on the HS website. I also looked at some great wikis for instruction in using web 2.0 tools adding to my knowledge of what is out their for free. I will definitely go back to eToolBox and CreativeWebTools for and By Kids. I will also go back to teachlibrary a wiki created by Pittsburg Public Schools providing lesson plans for library skills for the 21st Century. I only read a couple topics and found some good suggestions. Most of the wikis were huge projects but, I felt Mr. Monson's Grade 5 Classroom Wiki: Thousands Project, and 1000 Names were simple wiki's that anyone could look at and get an idea to create their own. I also thought MWV Science Fair Wiki was an incredible way for students to do and plan their Science Fair Project.

I am not ready to jump into this with my elementary library classes. I feel it might be a little more than I want to tackle this year. In the future I may try to create something like the 1000 names project done by first and second graders or, possibily create something library related similar to Mr. Monson's grade 5 Classroom Wiki: Thousands Project. Time will tell. I never seem to find enough.

Thing 20 Subscribe to podcasts

Include in your post the name of at least one podcast to which you subscribed. Describe your experience using the various search tools. Which do you prefer and why?

I liked listening to podcasts and I found that I could do other things while I listened. Searching on EPN and Podcast Alley was not as productive as looking at the podcasts from the list in Thing 19. I really think it would be best to look at this site's list of choices before anyone went on the two search sites EPN and Podcast Alley. From EPN I found the site TechTalk for Teachers and subscribed to it on ITunes. So many of the sites under EPN's Technology and Language Arts were so old , 2006 etc. I prepared dinner while I listened to one episode of Tech Talk and learned how Twitter will probably bring a whole new meaning on news reporting in the very near future. The election in Iran was an example used for reporting exactly what was happening. This seems to be a site that could keep me well informed about technologies. I also subscribed to Miette's Bedtime Stories on my bloglines. The stories are not for children but, I will probably listen to them and they would be good to listen to before you go to bed. I don't have a I-pod but, I want to get one now. I found an assortment of funny and interesting podcasts that I might find entertaining for my personal use but, again your list from thing 19 produced far more useful podcasts for education. I think I would tell my teachers to checkout the site Learn Outloud as it had so much to offer and there were several others like Learning and Learning Disabilities. I also felt the K-12 Science.net looked pretty useful.

I did have trouble with iTunes. I was given the choice to update my iTunes and I got an error message when it was installing. I haven't been able to get it corrected so I can not subscribe to any additional podcasts on iTunes. This will give me something to do when I am not busy. HaHa! Pressures of school starting soon are already beginning.

I can see elementary teachers using podcasts in centers and it would also be fun to introduce the students to the Vocab Minute or Book Talks Quick and Simple to be used during their library time. I also could see Internet Safety podcasts useful for background info for us to discuss the topics with our students. As teachers we don't do gaming and all the many things our students do on the internet and this would allow us to talk about the issues and know what we are talking about.

I was glad I spent as much time as I did on podcasts. I feel I can provide some good suggestions to both my elementary and high school teachers for using podcasts.

Thing 19 Podcasts

Which podcasts did you find interesting? Identify one or two podcasts and describe how you would use them in your work. (Be sure to include links in your blog entry to the podcasts mentioned.)

Okay, big mistake, I watched both part 1 and 2 on educational podcasts, spent several hours watching them and because it was late, I didn't do my reflection. I was super busy the next two days cataloging books and buying books so, I didn't write my reflection. Now, coming back to my Things, I just remember I looked at some great stuff. I will have to go back and review this. It just goes to show you that if you don't use it you lose it. Technology is so like this, either you make use of it several times after you learn something or you won't remember what you looked at and did. I do know that I really liked Storynory at http://storynory.com/. At the present time our teachers want listening centers in their rooms for their literacy stations. We have tons of books on tape but, the cassette players are dying and I don't want to replace them. I have been looking at CD players and MP3 players but, didn't want to spend money purchasing the CD's for the books we have and I haven't downloaded podcasts, itunes etc. Teachers will now be able to use their computers as a listening station by using storynory and students can do podcasts of their stories. I need to do some more researching with this and I would appreciate any advise that anyone has to offer for doing it in the most cost effective way.

I also liked Grammargirl at http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/default.aspx. and feel it offers tips for both elementary and high school students. I liked listening to a couple and I will return to this one.

Podcasts give teachers and students an endless list of resources of anything they are teaching and the students are learning. I see it as a great tool for teachers to engage their students and be able to individualize instruction for the students. It is a super way for students to broadcast their writing as the Jamestown Elem. first graders did in their poetry podcasts. Students thrive on showing off and being heard. I was happy to hear that it has become very easy to do. I am ready to get started using and creating podcasts.

Thing 18 Slideshare

What did you like about the presentation you embedded? How might Slideshare be useful in the classroom? out of the classroom?

I like to read quotes as they make me think and see things in a different light. I have several perpetual calendars that have quotes written on them so, this presentation is a good one for me. I found it interesting that this slideshow was listed under education and entertainment. Yes it is both. Hope everyone enjoys it and it adds some entertainment and education to your day.

Quotable Quotes

View more presentations from Trinity Blu.

I watched several slide shows on what makes a good presentation and I know in the future I will view powerpoint presentations very differently. This is a way for students and teachers to present information. I haven't used any but, it is something I will think about. I didn't find any slide shows that I felt I just had to download to use but, a couple were entertaining. This is a resource I will keep on hand in case it is needed. Myself, I prefer the video versions. I guess I like the additional sound and movement of the video clips.

I read Carma's post about the problems she had and I hope I have not picked up some viruses. The slide shows were very slow to load and kept rendering when I would advance quickly. One show had a video clip in it and I thought it would take forever to watch.

Thing 17 Online productivity tools

Give a review of the tool you explored - what worked, what didn't work, how might it be used in your personal or professional life?

I explored all the tools to see what they had to offer. I really liked zoho show as the video clip explained the features quickly and easily. It would be great if all the tools had done that. If I ever need a presentation I will for sure use this tool to save me time. This would also be a good tool for students.

I do want to take a closer look at Remember the Milk and 30 boxes as it would be good for me to be able to be more organized with my to do lists. Our school website does have a calendar for putting my appointments on but, I really don't want to use that for all the little things I have to keep track of and do. At this point Remember the Milk looks like the one to use. I will do some networking with a couple of people at school to see what would work the best for me.

Library Thing will come in handy for me as I will use it to write up a quick review each time I read a new book from the library. I have read so many books I am starting to forget what I have read and what I liked about the books. I should have been using this a long time ago. It will be a good resource for my students to check, they always want to know what I think about a book before they read it. I can also see me using this for the students to write a quick book review recommending a book to their friends.

I loved Trailfire! I found so many useful podcasts, and student resources relating to library issues that I could have spent days looking and using this tool. It will be something I will use in the future unless someone suggests something better.

I briefly looked a Knowtes and like what it does. There was even some flash cards that could be used for library lessons. One person had started a card stack on Library expectations but, they never added cards. I feel elementary students would find this lots of fun. It would be so much easier if they did some video clips to demonstrate how to use the tool. I feel I spent a lot of time just figuring out what to do. I am glad I spent the time looking at all the tools and not just one.