Last Thing: Is It the End or Only the Beginning?

My two favorite things I learned how to use are Animoto and the Flickr mashups. I think this program has made me much more aware of some of the resources out there on the web that I can use to make my life better and make my classroom more fun and educational. I was surprised by how many things are out there that I was completely unaware of, and I realize these are only 23 things! I think the format of the 23 Things is well-written and well-organized. Everything is very self explanatory and easy to follow in terms of steps and directions. My focus as a teacher will be more tuned to the fact that there are many online resources that can enhance my students' learning experiencing, and I need to take advantage of that at every possible opportunity. I think just occationally Googling Web 2.0 and Learning 2.0 will pull up recent developments in the 2.0 world.

Thing #23: Creative Commons

The evidence I found that the 23 Things for Teachers Activity was based off someone else's work is the following statement on the main blog page:

*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).

Now that I understand all the differences between the different licenses, I will know how I can make better use of the material under creative commons licenses. I also know to look for CC material now, instead of having to leave out material. I will use it in all of my presentations as a teacher.

Thing #22: Podcasts: No iPod Needed!

This podcast talks about some recent developments in space exploration technology hoped to be used in future trips to the moon: link.

I used the Educational Podcast Directory. I was unable to locate any podcasts under the science category on Podcastdirectory.com, and I ran across alot of podcasts with content not necessarily appropriate for this format on Podcastalley.com. So I chose the Educational Podcast Directory. I think it would be fun to develop some simple podcasts to use in the classroom; however, if I was ever unable to get around to making them, there are plenty of podcasts that are floating around out there waiting for someone to listen to them! Even though it is very nerdy, I liked listening to the NASA podcasts. The man who speaks on the podcast has a very calming voice, and he just talks and talks about neat space stuff. It is a very relaxing thing to listen to for me. :)

Thing #21: Animoto

Animoto is awesome...my favorite pictures in the world are from Washington State. Though the pictures to do not do it true justice, Washington is the most beautiful place I have ever been. (Not that I have traveled a tremendous amount!) Animoto allows me to put those pictures together into a nice video that is very calming and entertaining for me to watch. I hope others enjoy it too!

Thing #20: You, Too, Can YouTube

YouTube Video:

I selected this video because it is a wonderful little video that explains the purpose and vital importance of Earth Science. I enjoy YouTube. I believe YouTube is a great resource to find little brief clips about concepts that can really help drive home the point of lesson or concept. Sometimes, nothing says it better than a short video to bring in that visual component.

Thing #19: Beyond MySpace: Other Social Networks

Awaiting administrator approval for membership in TeacherPop.

I know this will sound ridiculous, but at one time I was a member of a hermit crab forum. As funny as it may sound, I am very passionate about taking good care of all the creatures on our planet, including weird little critters like hermit crabs. I learned more than I ever wanted to know about hermit crabs by participating on that forum! But, I felt it was important to do everything in my power to ensure those little crabs did not suffer an early demise because I was un-education on their care requirements. As far as the sites listed on the Thing #19 page, I am pretty sure I would not join and actually participate in any of the sites listed under number 2. I typically enjoy subjects that are off the beaten path a little bit.

Thing #18: Explore Social Networking

Facebook Profile

Social networking can mean the difference between having a job and not having a job. I know from personal experience, that if you know the right people, work life can be much simpler. Though I feel it is unfortunate at times, so much in life is all about who you know.

I have always had a hard time keeping up with people. I have had my MySpace page for years, and I only sign on every 6 months or so! Now, with Facebook, I am a little more engaged because it is easier to keep track of people. The way the website is formatted differently that MySpace. Even though I do not post very much, I do like to see what people I went to high school with are getting into!

I am not sure I would feel too comfortable about integrating Facebook into the classroom. It seems like there may not be enough control there for me. I would be afraid of the kids getting into trouble for things they cannot control...like off the wall comments made by classmates, etc.

Thing #17: Tagging and Social Bookmarking with Del.icio.us

I can really see how using Del.icio.us would be benificial to use as a teacher and in my personal life. I have a half a million websites bookmarked under my favorites in my browser. It is so hard for me to find bookmarked websites sometimes, because after a while, I sort of forget what I named them. It would be nice to have them categorized more specifically. It would also be nice to have access to them from multiple computers. There have been a couple of times recently that I have "lost" a website bookmark because I could not remember which computer I used when I bookmarked the site.

In terms of teacher use, this could be very helpful to share resources between team members. I know in some middle schools, all the teachers that teach a subject for a certain grade are placed on a team. As a team, these teachers collaborate on lesson plans and the best way to teach certain objectives. Depending on the willingness of your team members, this could be a helpful, timesaving resource to utlize as a group.

Thing #16: Get Organized with Web 2.0 Tools

I chose iGoogle for my "start page" because I have all of my internet things through Google. I was really surprised to see my gmail messages in one of the blocks. I think it can be a really useful tool for me to use as a homepage. I have Clarksville weather, email, and YouTube all in one!

For the online calendar, I used Google Calendar (of course...to go along with all my other Google goodies). An online calendar can be extremely useful, if not necessary in todays times. The ability to access your whole calendar for months and months at the stroke of a few keys can sometimes be a true lifesaver. I use my online calendar at work all the time to keep myself on track. There are just too many things that go on in life to try and keep them all in your head.

I would recommend the TinyURL application. It really seems like it could be useful. I am not sure what the implications would be of using an altered URL for something like a reference page in a PowerPoint presentation, but if there were no issues in terms of citation requirements, it would be an eye saver and a space saver!

Thing #15: What in the World is a Wiki?

I posted a comment in the Sandbox about my favorite Google feature. I could not figure out how to edit the comment text and add pictures??? I absolutely love the idea of using wiki pages to plan group activities. I did not realize that wiki pages could be used for such casual events as planning a trip! I think you could possibly have students utilize wiki pages for the coordination of group projects to expose students to a new technology they can apply to their both their educational and personal lives.

Thing #14: Go with the Flow

I chose Gliffy for my flow chart exploration. Gliffy offers alot of flexibility in terms of flow chart design; however, I think I would prefer to have the option of chosing a flow chart that is already formated so you can go ahead and start entering the information you want to include.

I chose Bubbl.us for my mind map exploration. A mind map seems to me like the brainstorming charts my high school creative writing teacher had us compose for our writing assignments...which to me seems to be the same thing as a flow chart. I am not sure if my mind just works in a "flow chart" way and I have turned mind maps into flow charts, or if I just have not made the connection regarding the difference between flow charts and mind maps. I did really enjoy using Bubbl.us. I think the way you construct the mind maps in Bubbl.us is more user friendly than the way Gliffy has you construct flow charts.

Thing #13: Web-based Applications

I see how a web-based application like Zoho Writer can be beneficial to eliminate problems related to compatibility between versions of Microsoft Office programs such as Word and Excel. I was surprised at the variety of applications available: a presentation tool, a word processor, a web application creator, a notebook, etc. I did not expect to find instant messaging and invoicing functions. I created a document using Zoho Show (the online presentation tool). I was actually very surprised by how much the program fuctions like Microsoft PowerPoint. I found it very easy to find what I needed to create a basic presentation. I also like the ability to export as a PPT file.

Thing #12: Google's Not Just for Searching Anymore

First, I explored Picasa Web Albums. I created an account and added a set of pictures with captions. I was not overly impressed with Picasa Web Albums. I think Flickr is more flexible and has more features. I also enjoy Flickr more because of their Creative Commons feature and their virtually unlimited free space. Picasa Web Albums also does not have groups to join, and you are limited in terms of free space. I made a typing error in the description for the group of pictures I added, and I cannot figure out how to edit it. I would hate to think I have to delete it and start the process over. There has to be a way to change it, but I cannot figure it out. It is not quite as user friendly in that regard. For the purpose of educational use, it is more difficult to find Creative Commons pictures, but it can still provide visual experiences for students who search for pictures, just like Flickr.

My Picasa Web Album

I explored Google Labs and ran across my second tool called Google Sets. The tool is very simple and fun to use. You enter 5 like items, and you can chose for Google Sets to generate either a large set or a small set of items related to the initial 5 prompts you provide. Each set is generated in a table. If you click on an item in the table, it performs a Google search for you.

I think this would be a great way for teachers and students to brainstorm ideas. It can pull up topics you might not think of that are related to the material you are covering in class. You could also have students play with Google Sets to illustrate relationships between words. They could analyze what items are included in a set to determine how they are related, if at all. I included a set of prompts and the results to show you the end product.

Google Sets: Prompts - earthquakes, volcanoes, mountains, land slides, caves

Google Sets: Results

Thing #11: Finding Good Feeds

I think using the search tool was the easier way to run across science type blogs. It may just be my topic of interest, but I found it somewhat difficult to find relevant blogs. I know they are out there, I just kept pulling up weird blogs that mentioned science, but the average content was not science-based.

Feedster has seen better days??? I clicked on the link in 23 Things, and it did not work. I typed "feedster" into the url bar, and it brought up a site that said Feedster is no longer working??? I could not get much out of Google Blog Search that was relevant to my search terms. Topix.net pulled up too many magazine/advertisement type articles and not very many blogs. Syndic8 was under construction when I tried to access it. I did find that the Technorati Blog Search tool pulled up the most blogs to look through. I actually found 2 blogs that seemed to be pretty interesting on the surface. I added them to my reader. During Thing #10, I found (and added to my reader) several blogs and news sites using the blog roll on a science blog and by doing a Google search for science news websites.

Thing #10: Set Up an RSS Feed and Add Feeds

What I like most about RSS is that you can view your favorite pages from any computer by logging into the RSS service. I used to use bookmarks to keep track of pages I like to visit. From now on, I will use RSS. It is much more practical than bouncing around to all the different sites. I think using RSS is a quick and easy way to scan for pertinent news stories each morning that you can use in your class. Tying in current events to the material you are teaching gives the students a sense of application and relevance.

Thing #9: Online Image Generators

Space Rocket Generator on http://www.signgenerator.org/.




















Left Arrow Sign Generator on http://www.signgenerator.org/.


For both of these signs, I used a sign generator website. The process was very simple. All you have to do to create signs like the ones above is change the text in the fields below the sample sign image. The sign generator automatically inserts your text onto the sign. These signs could be used to add interest to presentations or as classroom decorations (if the print quality is high enough). I saw that you can also make buttons with some of the sign generators. Buttons have resurfaced as a fashion trend. You may could use "prize" buttons as a motivator for students.

Thing #8: Flickr Mashups

Spell with Flickr is so much fun! I love how you can actually change the pictures for each letter. You are not stuck with the randomly generated letters! It seems to be limited to a single word, though. I tried some two word phrases, and when I copied the code over, it took out the space between the two words. There is probably something you can change in the code when you copy it over, but that is a little advanced for me! I did have the idea that you could make two separate images (one for each word) and place them side-by-side to give the illusion of having created a phrase. Spell with Flicker would be a fun way to spice up a teacher's blog or PowerPoint presentations to catch the attention of students

I also really liked retrievr. I thought it was fun to draw a shape in a color to pull up "like" images. I am not sure how you could use this in the classroom, but I really enjoyed it.

Flickr Color Picker was also fun to play with (similar to retriever). I like groups of things that are the same color (part of my collector's heart, I think). When I used this Flickr Mashup, the first thing I thought of was teaching young children the basic colors using this tool to generate cool pictures.

I think sharing photos is a wonderful idea. Flickr can provide students with a great visual experience. If a student would like to visit the Grand Canyon but cannot travel, the student can simply search for Grand Canyon in Flickr to pull up many photographs of what the Grand Canyon looks like. Many of the photographs are high quality and provide a large amount of detail.

I believe it is important to use as many photographs as possible thoughout the teaching process. Photographs provide students with information they can see, which is easier to remember than a list of characteristics in text. It is also much more interesting to students.

Thing #7: Explore Flickr

During my search through Flickr for an interesting photograph, I ran across a photographer (kla4067) who takes digital aerial photographs of cities, stadiums, etc. from airplanes during business trip flights. I found the picture to the left in kla4067's Photostream. It is a picture of the San Juan River in Lake Powell, Utah (northeast of Grand Canyon National Park).

I enjoy Flickr because there is a seemingly endless supply of photographs to look at. You could look for days and days and still not look at all the photographs. The broad range of photographs is also very appealing. Flickr's tag system is a very effective search tool. Using tags, you can easily find a picture of just about anything. I particularly enjoyed the "Last 7 Days" feature.

To view the original source of the photograph to the left, click here.

Thing #6: Discovering Web 2.0 Tools

I chose to review .docstoc under the education category.

I found the website to be a bit cumbersome for the purpose of finding documents. It does not have an advanced search function to narrow down the search criteria. You can search all of the documents for a word or phrase, or you can select a category such as education or science, and then search for a term or phrase within that category. However, I think it would be a great place to upload your documents for the purpose of linking them to your blog or website. .docstoc has a feature called DocShot. DocShot essentially allows you to create a link in your blog or website to a document that is hosted by .docstoc. When the visitor to your blog or website clicks on the link, they can immediately preview the document without leaving your site. The document is pulled from .docstoc. Using DocShot helps prevent visitor system crashes and long wait times to download files.

If you used a blog as part of your teaching strategy, I think .docstoc would be a useful tool for incorporating documents into your blog.

To access .docstoc, click on the following link: http://www.docstoc.com/

Thing #5: Perspectives on Web 2.0

After reading Web 2.0: A Guide for Educators and Minds on Fire: Open Education, the Long Tail and Learning 2.0, I feel that "School 2.0" is a shift in focus to a more collaborative, social-based, technology-driven form of learning that extends past the barriers of the school house. I was very impressed by the learning tool developments and educational experiments discussed in the Minds on Fire article. I had no idea that classrooms have actually been developed within the Second Life realm. I knew the technology was out there for gaming purposes, but I did not realize it was being applied to modern classrooms for learning purposes.

The idea of "School 2.0" is very exciting; it almost has a science fiction or futuristic attraction to it. The fact that "School 2.0" ideas are within the capabilities of modern technology is amazing. When I think about my high school educational experience and compare it to the ideas fostered by "School 2.0", it brings back the harsh reality the American K-12 school system is so far behind. To imagine "School 2.0" learning in the school system today seems like a futuristic ambition. For schools in the future to adopt "School 2.0" learning strategies, so many innovations would need to be made in the amount and level of technology equipment in the classroom, the training and preparation of teachers, and the conviction of society (parents) to support such an initiative in education.

However, with that in mind, time passes quickly. I think, before we know it, we will start seeing "School 2.0" ideology creeping into the American school system.

Thing #4: Why Commenting is Important

I will continue to return to Thing #4.

Commenting provides feedback to the author and also gives blog visitors the opportunity to express their ideas about an author's posts. Commenting creates dialogue that leads to connections between people. People who are linked by common ideas tend to develop lasting social relationships. When you actively participate on a blog or a forum, you become a member of the online community. You begin to identify yourself with the group of individuals who participate. Social learning environments are, thereby, created through commenting. Commenting can lead to a priceless resource of practical knowledge. For example, if you want to know how to work on your off-road truck, you can join a blog or a forum and ask participants on the forum how to approach various maintenance tasks. If you have a question about the wiring in your house, there is a blog or a forum out there for you!

Two points from the reading that I thought were important come from the 10 Commandments website.

Be polite: I believe this is a general statement that should apply to all aspects of our lives. When you are commenting, there is no need to be rude or unnecessarily critical. A post is sometimes just a statement of opinion or perspective, and we are all entitled to them. Just because your opinion does not mesh with my opinion, it does not make either of us wrong. It makes us individuals. So be polite when posting and commenting.

Never flame: This is an issue I find especially important. The world wide web is out there for all of us to leave our mark on; however, acting in an insulting manner does not accomplish anything. All it does is hurt other people and ourselves. I personally lost what I thought to be a great friendship over a "misunderstood" flame blog post on my friend's blog. There is nothing worse than finding out how someone really feels about you by reading a blog post that is shared for all the world to see. So, be mindful of that when you write posts and comments. You are not the only person who can see what you write!


I selected the following Blogs to post comments on throughout the semester:

Classmate Blogs

Amelia Bedelia Becomes a Teacher (Amelia Crotzer)

• Posted a Comment March 11, 2009: I chose to respond to Amelia's post on Thing #5 because, like Amelia, I enjoyed the suggested reading for Thing #5.

Tink Time (Tanya Williams)

• Posted a Comment March 11, 2009: I chose to respond to Tanya's post on Thing #8 because we both used the Web 2.0 tool, Spell with Flicker, and I liked her classroom application ideas.

Blog by Bowman (Jeannie Bowman)

• Posted a Comment March 11, 2009: I chose to respond to Jeannie's post on Thing #7 because her pictures caught my attention! They are quite cute.

tdezellem (Theresa Dezellem)

• Posted a Comment March 11, 2009: I chose to respond to Theresa's post on Thing #5 because I wanted to express my thoughts on one of the articles she mentioned in her post.

The Cookin' Colonel's Corner (Dudley Griffin, Jr.)

• Posted a Comment March 11, 2009: I chose to respond to Dudley's post on Thing #5 because something he said in his post sparked a thought I wanted to express.

Outside Blogs

Scientific American: 60-Second Science Blog

• Posted a Comment March 11, 2009: I chose to respond to the post titled "I-slate: Electronic chalkboards being developed for students in developing nations" because it contained interesting information on a new form of technology that is currently being worked on for use in educational settings.

The Art of Teaching Science

• Posted a Comment March 11, 2009: I chose to respond to the post titled "From Volcanoes in Your Backyard to Snow in Mine" because the author mentioned Mount St. Helens, which I recently visited.

Thing #3: Register your Blog

I would love to create a blog for my students and their parents. It would be a great place to post classroom presentations on course material, assignments with rubrics, projects submitted by students, study guides, links to websites with challenging activities and tutorials, and detailed steps on how to do experiments at home. A blog would serve as a place where parents can see what their child and other students are doing in the classroom. Because the blog would not necessarily have to be limited to the information covered in the classroom, I believe it would be a great resource for students who take a deeper interest in the material. I also think a blog would serve as a great resource for a new teacher to post lessons learned for other new teachers.

Thing #2: Create a Blog, Add a Post and an Avatar

I relied on my interest in science, especially geology, to help me decide my blog title (Rogers' Science Spot), my posting name (Lady Rocks), and the features of my avatar. Creating the avatar was may favorite part of creating the blog, even though I had to switch browers around until I stopped receiving a flash download error. I finally got it to work under internet explorer. It was very fun to go through all the different clothes and backgrounds! I did find it a little difficult to add the avatar to my blog. In the end, I had to save the avatar to my computer. I kept receiving an invalid html address error when I tried to add the avatar using the html address. However, I did manage to add my avatar, as you can see! It sort of looks like me...I have brown hair and green eyes just like my avatar. I don't own a kakhi shorts outfit with a vest; however, I feel like the outfit speaks to my interests. I would have preferred a hiking pack and some long pants!

Thing #1: Lifelong Learners

After watching the 7 1/2 Habits of Highly Successful Lifelong Learners video, I chose the easiest and hardest habit for me to follow. One of the easier habits for me is habit #2 (Accept responsibility for your own learning). I feel like I am already bearing the fruit of this habit by returning to school to pursue a master's degree. One of the more difficult habits for me is habit #6 (Use technology to your advantage); however, I am already starting to feel much more confident with my use of technology just from the brief technology exposure I have experienced through this course. I am beginning to realize that I knew more than I thought I did! However, I am no expert, and as such I feel this course will continue to increase my comfort level with aspects of technology I can utilize in both the classroom and in my personal life (which before I have been reluctant to explore). I am eager to know what else is out there in the great world of web 2.0 tools, because I have already been surprised by a few things I did not know existed!

Setting up the blog was incredibly simple. It literally takes less than 5 minutes...excluding the time it takes to think of a blog title, of course. Considering the whole process, thinking of a title and signature name were the hardest parts!