Thing #8

   

This was really fun! I can see making all kinds of posters and fun presentation covers using these tools. I can't write neatly and I am no good with stencils, so these sort of tools are perfect for someone like me who has creative ideas, but just isn't as handy with art supplies as my imagination would like for me to be.

As far as sharing photos online, I know that with tools such as Flickr, you can copyright them and make them not available for public use. Also, you can set up private accounts and share your photos with only people who you would like to see them.  Therefore, I think if a picture can be copied and used in other media platforms like this blog, it is totally up for grabs as long as the author gives a photo credit and links back to the original photo.  

Photo Credit: This is the same photo from my Thing #7 post.

Thing #7

I went to Flickr and typed in "school" in the search bar. I found this picture and why I chose this picture to use it is because the kids in the picture had no idea that one day that picture would be available for viewing by the entire world!  They had no idea what an amazing future they would see in the next 40 to 50 years in regards to technology. 

It makes me wonder how our pictures that we take today will be seen in 50 years.  Will Flickr be like Polaroids or even disposal cameras at that time in the future?  Will we even view pictures on laptops or will laptops be as outdated as shoe boxes full of pictures? When was the last time you asked someone to see a picture of their children and they actually pulled out a picture that you could hold? Don't we all use our cell phones as instant photo albums now? 

I just wonder if you had told the kids in this picture, "Just wait. Some random college student will be blogging about this very picture of you one day on a thing called a laptop using a thing called the Internet." I wonder what they would say.  Probably, "What on earth is blogging?!?!"

 

Photo Credit:
Link to Photo
William Fox School Title:
William Fox School
Creator: Adolph B. Rice Studio
Date: 1960 Apr. 26
Identifier: Rice Collection 2818B
Format: 1 negative, safety film, 4 x 5 in.
Rights Info: No known restrictions on publication.
Repository: Library of Virginia, Prints and Photographs, 800 E. Broad St., Richmond, VA, 23219, USA, digitool1.lva.lib.va.us:8881/R

Thing #6

I instantly was drawn to Microsoft Office Live Workspace.  It is a tool for sharing documents between multiple users. I thought an awesome idea to use this tool in a library setting is for one school to team up with another school and for two students to write a joint book report.

Here how my idea would work:

• Richview middle school students who have Reading as 4^th period would team up with Rossview Middle School students who have Reading as 4^th period. 
• I am guessing each class would have about 25 students. 
• One library’s would pick out 25 books (one for each student) making sure the other library had the same book available. For example, both libraries would have to have The Hunger Games.
• Then the students would come in a pick what book they wanted to read. 
• The corresponding student from the other school who picked out the same book, together they would write a book report using Microsoft Office Live Workspace.

Of course, there would have to be more logistics worked out (I doubt both libraries have 25 computers ready to use at any given time). The students would have to have designated days and time when they would be allowed to the computer lab to work with his/her partner on this book report. 

However, this tool could really be useful in teaching students how they are most likely going to have to work in the future with a partner(s) in the workforce who lives 2000 miles away, but this project is on a much smaller scale. 

Thing #5

I listened to a podcast from the website teachers 2.0.  A teacher who introduces different technology into the classroom hosted the podcast. 

I can’t really see a way of using podcast in my classroom because I have had college professors who have used podcasts and they can come across, well, very dry and boring when trying to convey a lesson.  I can, however, see using YouTube where I can give examples and show how to actually work a problem. 

What I did like about the podcast was that it was a way for me to learn what other teachers are doing in their classroom and I can download it right to my phone (if I can find the podcast on iTunes) and listen to the podcast on the go.That is a really neat tool that I could see being very useful.

The Horizon Report had all kinds of emerging trends that us, as new teachers, will have at our fingertips.  One thing that really stood out to me was the use of social networking tools.  I was wondering if we could have professional Facebook pages (I am personally against parents and students “friending” teachers) and use it as another tool to communicate with parents and students? How would you use Facebook and/or twitter as a teacher? I am just curious what others have to say on that topic.

School 2.0 means to me that I get to be a teacher in a great period of time! I can use YouTube and blogs to interact with my students and parents. Schools of the future are going to have to take that leap into the future and realize all the amazing things we, as teachers, have at our fingertips.  We can teach from our living rooms (i.e. set up our laptops and give more examples from our assignments so students can access that information when it's convenient to them.) Also, we can communicate with the busy parents who work 2nd or 3rd shifts and aren't available during normal business hours via email and comments on blogs (and who knows what else is right around the corner!) 

Thing #4

Commenting is key for a successful blog, in my opinion. We blog because we are wanting to build our own personal community of people with like-minded ideas, habits or interests.   In order to build your blog, you have to let others know you are out there with your own blog and leaving comments on others blogs is probably the best way to let others know, “Hey! I’m here! I’m kind of like you. You are not alone in your thoughts and ideas.”   

We can let others know that we have a blog via posting a link on our Facebook pages, but for the purpose of this particular blog (a teachers blog) I doubt many of my non teaching friends would be interested in reading this blog.  However, my fellow classmates would be. So, in order for them to know that I exist, I have to leave a comment on their blogs.  It’s how you start to build your blogging community.

 

I loved the service CoComment from the blog Cool Cat TeacherBlog.  You can see all the places you have commented and read recent comments to that post. That is a really awesome tool especially if you get “lost” in bloggerworld and forget all the blogs you visited and left comments. 

I also love the idea of leaving open ended questions toinvite more comments. Honestly, I just think asking any question at the end of your blog would be a great way to get more comments, especially if you are using this blog as a way to communicate with other teachers and get ideas for classroom assignments.  Ask a question! See what other teachers from all over the place have to say.  I think asking questions on your blog (while should get more comments) it can also be an invaluable tool to be a more successful teacher (if you do end up having a teachers blog). 

I chose Britney Elliott’s  I commented that I loved her idea for using a blog in her class.  She had the idea to use her blog as a way of giving examples to her students for different problems. I love that idea. Whereas I was thinking more along the lines of using a blog for the parents benefit, I love the idea of using a blog as a tool for the students benefit as well.

My second blog I picked was Nick Caudill's blog Gadfly. He made me laugh because he said that he thinks he will be a nuisance to the teacher because he doesn’t feel he is at good with technology. I think the fact that he has his blog set up and registered proves he is better than he thinks he is and I told him that in my comment to him.  

My third blog I picked was Tiffany Anderson’s blog, “FromChalkboards to Smartboards” I LOVED that title! Her blog is very creative and pretty. I picked her blog randomly because she was from the other Education 3040 class.  I pretty much just gushed to her in my comment about how much I loved the look of her blog and the name of her blog. 

My fourth blog I went to was Kendra Donaldson 23 Things for Teachers.  She and I both want to go back and spruce up our avatars.  I told her in my comment to her that I need to change my avatar to be more reflective of who I am. 

This fifth blog I visited was Emily Mount's blog, Ms. Emily Mount's 23 Things. I told her in my comment that I hope this blogging exercise helps us all to establish more friends outside the classroom because I for one, don't have many friends at APSU being a non traditional student. 

One of my favorite blogs is, Miss Britt In Pursuit of Happiness.  I love her blog, though comment rarely.  I commented on her last post "Happy Birthday" because it was her birthday.  She wrote a post in honor of her 32nd birthday titled "32 ways to be happy."  It's a great read if you get the chance. 

Another blog I read all the time is Sarah Joy.  She is a college student in Portland.  My last comment to her was about how similar she and I are. She was writing about how there isn't enough time to do everything she need to do, like call her mom more often. It's blogs like her that I really enjoying reading the most.  The personal ones that allows us a little insight into another person's world.

Thing #3

How I might use a blog for my classroom? Oh the possibilities are endless!

I would like to use a blog as a way of generating “newsletters” to parents about what we are learning in our classroom and special events coming up. I would have the option of parents being able to subscribe via email to my blog so that the parents would not have to worry about checking the blog each week for updates and would get an automatic email.

I know as a parent to two children in the school system, I can get bogged down from time to time with all the papers that come home and trying to decipher which papers are important to keep and which I can throw away just as quickly as I read them.  I am guilty of saying to my kids, “Oh just put all your papers on the kitchen counter and I will read them later.” Only later never really comes. 

A blog would be a good way to reinforce important dates and material for parents that, like me, get overwhelmed with the amount of paperwork that comes home daily from their kids.   Also, if parents had questions about a date or an assignment they could leave a comment under the blog entry or email directly. 

As I mentioned earlier, I would like to keep the blog private meaning password protected so that not just everyone on the internet can access my blog information. Not that I would be putting personal information on the web, private or public, I just think the parents might feel better knowing that whatever is discussed on the blog is just between us and the other parents in the classroom. 

As I am writing this, I have come up with all kinds of other ways I might use a blog... have the children write blog entries, post pictures of the kid's projects for all the parents to enjoy throughout the school year, and many other things, but I have to stop myself now or this entry could quickly turn into a novel!  

Thing #2

Hi Everyone!

I chose to use my first and last name for my blogger name.  I picked for my blog address APSU Teacher in Training because that is what I feel like, a teacher in training. 

I found that setting up this blog was really easy.  However, my page isn’t very creative just yet, but I am excited about sitting down for a few hours and playing around with the layout and all the fun and different things I can add to my blog to make it more personalized. My avatar is not that reflective of whom I am, but again, I’m looking forward to making it more personalized when time allows.

Thing #1

After watching the presentation, I realized that I already have one the habits of being a successful learner, I write down my goals. I know for me that writing down goals and what I want and/or need to do is second nature. I have to make lists in order for there to be order in my life. Without my lists, I would be lost!

The habit that I know I have and will have the most trouble with is dealing with obstacles. For example, as a wife and mom (which is always a full time job) and being a full time college student, homework has to wait until dinner is cooked, I have cleaned the dishes, and laundry is put away. I am not sure if they are excuses, bad time management skills or are true obstacles, but I know that I can get sidetracked easily from school work when other household chores need to be done. That is also true with a many other factors in my life.

One of the key words I wanted to incorporate into my life this year was “balance.” I know that I am in desperate need of more balance in my life. I need to take an active role in my life to overcome obstacles instead of letting them totally stop me in my tracks from my short term and long-term goals. This presentation just reinforced my thought process for incorporating more balance into my life.

I do think balance is one of the keys to overcoming obstacles. For example, when in the presentation it was suggested to put up a sign for co-workers not to bother you during certain hours. Maybe I need to incorporate the same thing in my house. Put on my door, “Mommy’s homework hours” with the hours I need to be left alone. That is one way I can overcome an obstacle.