Thing #24 Summary

TA DA!!! I DID IT!!!

First of all, this course should be renamed to 27 Things! Just kidding! What did I learn? A whole bunch of GREAT stuff!

•What were your favorite discoveries or exercises on this learning journey?
My favorite would have to be Voice Thread. I really like it and want to use it in my classroom.

•How has this program affected your lifelong learning goals?
This course has really motivated me to use more technology in my classroom. I feel this task will now be more easily accomplished with the new set of tools I have gathered as a result of this class.

•What could we do differently to improve upon this program’s format or concept?
I honestly don't think at this moment that anything needs tweaking.

•If we offered another discovery program like this in the future, would you choose to participate?
If MISD offers another online discovery program like this, I will definitely sign up. I love the idea of a somewhat self-paced, at home, professional development activity.
•How will what you have learned influence your practice as a teacher or school librarian?
As I stated before, I am definitely going to use these tools in my classroom. I am always looking for ways to take my studemts to those upper levels of Bloom's Taxonomy. What better way to get them to the Creation level than through the use of technology. It's like killing 2 birds with one stone!
•How do you plan to keep up with new developments in web 2.0? Recommend a way that you have found to be useful.
I signed up to become a member of Classroom 2.0. Because so many of the discussion strands deal with new technology available on-line for use in the classroom, I think it will be an effective way for me to stay informed of the latest trends.


Hooray for me!!!!! I completed the 23 Things!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thing # 20 Google Docs

This was my least favorite Thing. Yes, I was excited that I found a way to use Microsoft Office type products with buying the program. But, once I learned that, the novelty ended. I was glad to see that Google Presentations was included in the freebies. Students could use this application at home if they don't have Powerpoint. It could be used to create a collaborative presentation within a classroom, between classrooms in a district, or classrooms in another state or country. The spreadsheet application could be used similiarly to how it is being used in this course. A teacher could use it as a checklist for parents to see what parts of a student project have been completed and which ones their child lacks. The documents application could be used to let students collaborate on a writing project together.
OK, now that I listed all the ways it could be used in the classroom, I an a little more excited about it. lol Here's my collaborative document. And here's a Google Presentation I created.

Thing #21 Google Tools

I used Google Earth to find my school and save an arial image of it. I love when you type in a zip code and Google Earth starts to fly/zoom in on it. Google Earth has some many classroom applications. So many of my students have such limited prior knowledge. For them the whole world is basically their zip code. So many of them think Texas is a country. lol This would defintely would a useful tool to help them see themselves as part of a global community.

I also created a calendar. This could be a handy tool for project due dates and school events. The events I added to my calendar are all personal, but this tool could easily be incorporated into the classroom. The first thing that comes to mind would be Science Fair due dates. What a simple way for parents to access due dates.

Thing # 23- Other Social Networks

I joined Classroom 2.0 and surfed around the site a little. It's definitely a wonderful tool for networking with other teachers, not just in the US but around the world. I read one thread about a teacher in Connecticut who is looking for other classrooms to collaborate with, and a English teacher in France was highly enthusiatic about the project. There were teachers who talked about using Voice Thread in their classrooms and I just learned about it last week! This is an awesome tool! I signed up and now have a homepage.

Thing #15 Delicious!

First let me say that the URL name is kinda weird, but the concept is right on target. Just recently I discovered spellingcity.com and shared the site with my colleagues. How much easier would it have been for me just to add it to my delicious list and share? I am always adding sites to my bookmarks bar and just like the video says, it can get a little disorganized. Delicious makes it so easy to organize them. All it takes is a 2 quick clicks! I'm sold. To view my delicious bookmarks click here.
BTW, this is my dog Tootsie in her Halloween costume.

Thing 7A More Google Reader- AKA RSS Overload!!!!!

I've been following the blog Cool Cat Teacher, and she had the link to the following article on her site; Social networks and kids: How young is too young? I was surprised to see FarmVille listed as a socia networking device. I truly just think of it as a game. I don't particularly care for FarmVille, but I am totally addicted to FarmTown. lol

As much as I love technology, I don't think kids should spend hours online on social networking sights. They need to be outside playing, or engaged in some activity that challenges them mentally or physically. Leave the social networking sights to old women like me who are addicted to Farm Town!

Thing 18 You Tube and Teacher Tube

I watched a video on Curriculum Base Reader's Theatre, which talked about making Social Studies material come alive with dramatic flair. The author gives instructions on how to adapt reader's theatre to different content areas.

I am very familiar with You Tube. These days I can't imagine someone not being familiar with it. I don't think everyone realizes that there is a lot of educational content on the web. I first realized this a year ago when I was taking an Educational Technology class for my master's degree. We had to search and view several videos which explained how to create wikis, blogs, etc. and why they were so useful.