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.