Google Calendar:
I chose to create an account for Google Calendar because I like to be oober organized, so adding another way to keep all of my stuff in order could be of no harm. It was really easy to set up and navigate. It broke down each day hour by hour which allows me to be even more organized. As a teacher, having this resource will allow me to stay on top of all upcoming events, meetings, students' birthdays, etc. I can create a separate calendar of events for the parents and either email it to them or give them a hard copy. Any way I look at it, this web tool will allow me to keep all of my ducks in a row.
Picasa Web Albums:
I absolutely love taking pictures of everything, so I figured why not create another account to share my photos. Picasa is such an incredible web tool because it allows you to edit, file, and share every photo imaginable. As a teacher, I could use this web tool to share photos of the events and activities in my classroom. It will keep the parents up to date and aware of what is happening in the classroom or on field trips. The editing options are intense. They are super cool; I spent way too much time editing all of my pictures. It is very addictive, so proceed with caution.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Thing #11
After searching through the thousands of blogs, a couple of interesting blogs caught my eye. The first one pertains to traveling the world, and I actually heard about this blog from a fellow classmate. It's entitled Everything, Everywhere! I liked it because it showcases amazing pictures from around the world. The second newsfeed I decided to subscribe to is Our Daily Bread. This site contains daily devotionals.
Google Blog Search was by far the simplest and least confusing of the bunch. I guess this is due to the fact that I use the Google search engine on a daily basis. It was just the norm. But let me tell you Topix.net was so confusing. When I opened the link provided, I was petrified. It was so confusing and somewhat intimidating. I was cetaintly pushed out of my comfort zone. It is a good idea, but just a little too chaotic for my pleasure.
Okay, so I am definitely not a cat person. When I ran across this blog I Can Has Cheezburger, I was a little concerned. The ENTIRE website was about felines. I just don't get it. There was a ton of ridiculous images and videos posted solely about cats. I found this to be extremely concerning and unusual. Guess I can sleep at night knowing that I will never become that crazy cat lady next door!!
By exploring fellow classmates' blogs, I was able to find newsfeeds that I would also be interested. As I stated previously, I found a blog about traveling from Kelsea Keith. :)
Google Blog Search was by far the simplest and least confusing of the bunch. I guess this is due to the fact that I use the Google search engine on a daily basis. It was just the norm. But let me tell you Topix.net was so confusing. When I opened the link provided, I was petrified. It was so confusing and somewhat intimidating. I was cetaintly pushed out of my comfort zone. It is a good idea, but just a little too chaotic for my pleasure.
Okay, so I am definitely not a cat person. When I ran across this blog I Can Has Cheezburger, I was a little concerned. The ENTIRE website was about felines. I just don't get it. There was a ton of ridiculous images and videos posted solely about cats. I found this to be extremely concerning and unusual. Guess I can sleep at night knowing that I will never become that crazy cat lady next door!!
By exploring fellow classmates' blogs, I was able to find newsfeeds that I would also be interested. As I stated previously, I found a blog about traveling from Kelsea Keith. :)
Thing #10
Really Simple Syndication (RSS) is an incredible new development. The fact that you can subscribe to all the blogs or sites that interest you and they will all be combined unto page is convenient. As the video says, it does save you a lot of time because you no longer have to visit every site separately.
RSS can be a beneficial resource in the classroom for teachers. They can subscribe to various blogs etc. that keeps them up to date on the most recent trends, issues and concerns in the education realm. Also, it would be a great way for the teacher to become connected to resources and ideas that were not tangible before. Teachers can take full advantage of this resource. Being able to have multiple sources in one place is beneficial to a teacher because it saves time and energy.
Personally, I decided to use RSS to subscribe to a couple of baking blogs
(My Baking Addiction) as well as the ever popular Pioneer Woman . I subscribed things that interested me the most: education, world travel, and baking!! By using RSS, I will become the next Paula Dean! (without all the butter, of course)
RSS can be a beneficial resource in the classroom for teachers. They can subscribe to various blogs etc. that keeps them up to date on the most recent trends, issues and concerns in the education realm. Also, it would be a great way for the teacher to become connected to resources and ideas that were not tangible before. Teachers can take full advantage of this resource. Being able to have multiple sources in one place is beneficial to a teacher because it saves time and energy.
Personally, I decided to use RSS to subscribe to a couple of baking blogs
(My Baking Addiction) as well as the ever popular Pioneer Woman . I subscribed things that interested me the most: education, world travel, and baking!! By using RSS, I will become the next Paula Dean! (without all the butter, of course)
Thing #9
la vita e bella la vita e amore... life is beautiful; life is love. I find this phrase to be uplifting and oftly romantical. To create this image, I used Image Chef. This was super easy to use and kind of reminded me of wordle!! All you do is type in your own text, chose the colors and font. Then push enter. It's as easy as that. In a classroom, students could create a similar image with their vocabulary words or important terms from a story they are analyzing. This could also be used in projects for the class.
Amor Vincit Omnia... Love Conquers All! I also used Image Chef to create this text image. I thought the graffiti effect was groovy and fresh. The process in creating it was the same as above. insert text, chose color, enter. As we all know, classroom walls can be very dull. With the use of any image generator, those boring walls can be livened up by a cute and creative project. Also, it could be used as a fun, creativity inspiring assignment for the students. I know that this has provided me with inspiration to be creative. :)
I am absolutely obsessed with fortune cookies! It is a very sad addiction. Perhaps, I should say that I love the cute messages inside them. It's always thrilling to read your fortune cookie after a nice Chinese take out dinner. For this image, I used Custom Sign Generator. On this site, there are numerous templates for text images. Of course, with my love for the fortunes within the fortune cookie, I decided to create one of my own. As with the two previous images, the steps to creating this image are simple: insert text, chose font, enter. And there ya go- your very own fortune!! A teacher could use the fortune idea to give praise for good behaviour. Fortunes that say Good Job! or Keep up the Good Work! etc. would be a nice recognition for the students. Also, the children could make write poems and use the fortunes to publish them. :)
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Thing #8
One of the main reasons I want to be a teacher is so that I can inspire future generations to become the best they can be. I want to give my students inspiration to achieve their goals no matter the extent. A deep passion for education and gaining knowledge runs through my veins, and I hope to influence my future students to value education greatly.
Flikr mashup can be used to brighten the dull grey walls of any classroom. Words of inspiration or encouragement can be posted around the room. Also, in younger classrooms, (perhaps Kindergarten) it can be used to help the children learn how to spell their name. They would make super groovy name tags for the desks, too!!
I see no foul in sharing photos online as long as they aren't vulgar. If you take a fantastic picture, why wouldn't you want to share it with the world? The greatest joys in life are those shared with others. Therefore, in my opinion, sharing photos online is nothing shy of a good thing. Sharing masterpieces with others is a good way to get feedback as well as inspiration for other photo ideas.
Thing #5
The perspective I found most interesting was Web 2.0: A Guide for Education. The author mentioned that the Internet has transformed from passive to active as we are encouraged to create online content. It goes on to discuss how Web 2.0 can be used in school through blogs, RSS, and pod casts. I find it very fascinating how many tools there are that can be adapted into the classroom.
School 2.0, in my opinion, means improvement and opportunity. Students all have different learning styles. By taking advantage of Web 2.0 and integrating into the classroom, students will have greater opportunities to learn. It will expose them to more than a textbook ever could imagine. As teachers, we are to prepare students to become active members in society. By incorporating modern technology, they will be exposed to cyber world around them. This can be accomplished in a variety of ways: blogs, RSS, pod casts, image generators and the list goes on.... Schooling in the future needs to embrace and take advantage of all the upcoming resources around them. School 2.0 will allow teachers to create more interactive lessons, and will also introduce them to a plethora of new resources. There is only room for more advancements and improvements.
School 2.0, in my opinion, means improvement and opportunity. Students all have different learning styles. By taking advantage of Web 2.0 and integrating into the classroom, students will have greater opportunities to learn. It will expose them to more than a textbook ever could imagine. As teachers, we are to prepare students to become active members in society. By incorporating modern technology, they will be exposed to cyber world around them. This can be accomplished in a variety of ways: blogs, RSS, pod casts, image generators and the list goes on.... Schooling in the future needs to embrace and take advantage of all the upcoming resources around them. School 2.0 will allow teachers to create more interactive lessons, and will also introduce them to a plethora of new resources. There is only room for more advancements and improvements.
Thing #7
Although I had a fantastic time viewing the plethora of intriguing photos, I could not for the life of me figure out how to upload a picture to my blog. I couldn't figure out why it wasn't working. I tried everything!! But thankfully after many failed attempts, victory was mine! Momma was right; patient and determination are key to success. :) If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.
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Ruggles, B. "Children Laughing." 8 March 2010. 21 February 2012. http://www.flickr.com/photos/bradruggles/4499926151/.
Thing #6
Music makes the people come together... YEAH! For this assignment, I chose Pandora! Everywhere I go and with every thing I do, I always have music playing. I chose to explore Pandora because it seemed simple to use and it was free! (Who doesn't like free things??) I really liked the fact that you could search any genre or artist and music correlating to the topic would play. It exposes you to great music that is closely related to the music that interests you. The only downside to this site was the fact that you can't replay a song. Once it's over, it is over. It needs a rewind button (but so does life!) A useful feature for this site is the like and dislike buttons. If you hear a song that blows you away or makes your heart melt, you can like it and it will be placed into your profile so that you can find it at a later date. This can be useful in a classroom because it will allow you to find a song year after year.
In a classroom, I could use this site to introduce the students to music from other countries and in other languages. I could also find educational songs like the School House Rock songs that we all know and love! Finally, I could use Pandora as background music. As students work on individual assignments, I can utilize Pandora and play Mozart or Beethoven to stimulate the minds of my students. :)
In a classroom, I could use this site to introduce the students to music from other countries and in other languages. I could also find educational songs like the School House Rock songs that we all know and love! Finally, I could use Pandora as background music. As students work on individual assignments, I can utilize Pandora and play Mozart or Beethoven to stimulate the minds of my students. :)
Thing #4
Commenting on other blogs creates a sense of a community because it is a form of interaction between individuals. In life, a community is the area surrounding you that impacts your life as you interact with it. So, by leaving a comment on a blog that you find intriguing, you are in essence laying the foundation for a cyber community. Interaction is key to building a community. Commenting is the key to building a virtual blog community. Interacting with other bloggers allows for ideas to be shared, improvements to be made, and relationships to blossom.
As I read the blogs concerning the importance of commenting, two ideas jumped out at me... (not literally!) The first of these would be that when you leave a comment on someone else's blog, you ultimately become a part of that blog. If the comment left is relevant and thought provoking, the author of the blog can learn from and value your ideas. The second of these would be the idea that a blog should not be unapproachable or uninviting. It shouldn't resemble a text book or dissertation. It should appeal to all people, and include flaws. Nothing is perfect. If a blog is intimidating, people will tend to avoid it.
To be continued....
As I read the blogs concerning the importance of commenting, two ideas jumped out at me... (not literally!) The first of these would be that when you leave a comment on someone else's blog, you ultimately become a part of that blog. If the comment left is relevant and thought provoking, the author of the blog can learn from and value your ideas. The second of these would be the idea that a blog should not be unapproachable or uninviting. It shouldn't resemble a text book or dissertation. It should appeal to all people, and include flaws. Nothing is perfect. If a blog is intimidating, people will tend to avoid it.
To be continued....
Monday, February 13, 2012
Thing #3
Being as afraid of technology as I am, I decided to look at the blogging idea in a different aspect. Instead of approaching it as a troublesome task, I approached it as a means to sharing my thoughts with others.
As a teacher, collaboration is key to a successful classroom. Thus, in my future classroom, I can use a blog to enlighten other teachers with vital information. For example, I can post about what lessons or activities worked and which ones were an epic failure, so that they can maybe try different approaches to a certain lesson. A good thing about a blog is that I can discover ideas from other teachers that have posted about educational topics. Beg, Borrow,and Steal. A teachers best resource, at times, is the brain of a fellow colleague.
A blog will not only prove beneficial to me as a teacher. It will also be a great way to keep in touch with the parents of my students. By posting upcoming activities and announcements, the parents will always be in the loop, and hopefully (fingers crossed) they will participate and become active within the classroom. Also, I can showcase students' excellent work on the blog. This will give the student a sense of accomplishment. Besides, what parent doesn't like seeing their child be recognized for their great efforts? What's better than seeing an aced test or brilliant masterpiece on the fridge at home? -Seeing it on a blog that is viewable by the whole world!
As a teacher, collaboration is key to a successful classroom. Thus, in my future classroom, I can use a blog to enlighten other teachers with vital information. For example, I can post about what lessons or activities worked and which ones were an epic failure, so that they can maybe try different approaches to a certain lesson. A good thing about a blog is that I can discover ideas from other teachers that have posted about educational topics. Beg, Borrow,and Steal. A teachers best resource, at times, is the brain of a fellow colleague.
A blog will not only prove beneficial to me as a teacher. It will also be a great way to keep in touch with the parents of my students. By posting upcoming activities and announcements, the parents will always be in the loop, and hopefully (fingers crossed) they will participate and become active within the classroom. Also, I can showcase students' excellent work on the blog. This will give the student a sense of accomplishment. Besides, what parent doesn't like seeing their child be recognized for their great efforts? What's better than seeing an aced test or brilliant masterpiece on the fridge at home? -Seeing it on a blog that is viewable by the whole world!
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