Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Week #5 ♦ Thing #11 ♦ Web 2.0 Award Winning Applications & Ning




This Traveler IQ was calculated on Wednesday, September 30, 2009 at 08:55PM GMT by comparing this person's geographical knowledge against the Web's Original Travel journal's 4,594,111 travelers who've taken the challenge.

So, I am totally addicted to the Travel IQ challenge! I actually shared it with our 6th grade geography teacher and I visited his classroom yesterday and found his students taking the challege interactively via the smartboard! It was great!

I was also really pleased to find out that I was pretty familiar with some of the Web 2.0 Award winning sites. I frequently use sites such as Google Maps, Google Docs, and Youtube. I also have some experience with Craigslist, PB Wiki, and Facebook. I decided to try a site I wasn't familiar with and had a lot of fun exploring Im Cooked. It was like Youtube for cooking videos.

Lastly, I visited Ning and joined Classroom 2.0. I was a little unsure of what I was doing until I read an article explaining exactly what a social network is- and I realized that I already have social networking experience. I jumped on the myspace.com bandwagon a long time ago, but gave it up because as a teacher I felt pretty vulnerable posting personal information (even though my site was password protected). I think just about everyone I know has joined Facebook and I have thought about it, but again, I worry about confidentiality. Classroom 2.0 seems different. Of course you always need to be careful, but it seems like a great place to share ideas with other professionals in my field.

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Week #5 ♦ Thing # 10 ♦ Image Generators

Image hosted @ bighugelabs.com

Wow! How cool is all of that stuff out there! It is amazing what you can do with it! I couldn't help but smile when I saw the following message at the bottom of the Bighugelabs website:

"I know, right? It's a lot to take in. Go slow."

It is so true.


ImageChef.com - Custom comment codes for MySpace, Hi5, Friendster and more

Week #4 ♦ Thing #9 ♦ Education Feeds

I spent the most time searching Technorati (I already got my feet wet there for another course!)- but let me just say, there is SO much out there! I would never have time to keep up with all of that information! I think RSS feeds could be really useful if you only subscribe to a couple of feeds. When you start adding too many, it can get very overwhelming! I found a few good educational blogs and a news blog- but I found it most useful for keeping up with my friends’ blogs.

For anyone that is interested, my best friend just published her second novel. She is a fantastic writer and her Bloggapalooza is very entertaining! You can find the RSS feed at http://www.hollychristineonline.com/

Week #4 ♦ Thing #8 ♦ RSS Feeds

I set up my Google Reader account over a week ago, but I was waiting to post until I had some time to see if I like it or not. At first I found myself going to all the websites I usually go to, just out of habit. I had to remind myself to go to my Google Reader account, but once I got into a routine, it was great to have all of that information there in one place! It can get overwhelming though- to see so much information at one time. I feel pressured to read everything!

This is just one more example of how libraries can keep their finger on the pulse of a technology-centered society. RSS feeds connect patrons to news and events and can be used to provide all types of information.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Week #3 ♦ Thing #7 ♦ I ♥ Technology

I have mentioned before that I love technology- experimenting with all of the cool new stuff. However, as a teacher, I often get stuck in a rut. I end up doing the same old things over and over because I am pressed for time and often low on energy. I am excited to say that the “23 Things” has rejuvenated me! I am only on Thing #7 and I have already come up with some great ideas to use in my classroom!

My goal this year is to incorporate more technology into my lessons. I have started by utilizing the Smartboard in my classroom. The kids love the interactive lessons- it gets them up and moving. I can also stream live and recorded video/ audio. Currently, I am showing Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech in my public speaking class.

My other goal is to utilize more technology at home- especially when it comes to recording my son’s milestones. We just purchased a digital video camera- it is fantastic! I can upload the video right to our computer and share it with our family and friends. It really is amazing how far we have come. I can still remember my dad filming us with the big, clunky video camera. It is a dinosaur compared to what we have now… and we all know what happened to the dinosaurs…

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Week #3 ♦ Thing #6 ♦ Flickr fun & mashups


Justin
Originally uploaded by Hatalowichra
This is really cool! There are so many things to experiment with! I also like that you can order what you make- this would make a really cool art piece in our house!

Seriously, even Warholized, isn't he the cutest baby you have ever seen?

Week # 3 ♦ Thing #5 ♦ Flickr


138
Originally uploaded by Hatalowichra
Ahh... memories... This picture was taken last year on my honeymoon to St. Lucia. We had such a wonderful time!

Flickr is a cool site. It was pretty easy to navigate and once I watched the tutorial I had no trouble figuring out what to do. Photo-sharing sites are a great way to stay in touch with family and friends.

Monday, September 7, 2009

Week #2 ♦ Thing #4 ♦ Register Your Blog

Registered and ready to go!

I had so much fun creating my blog! I love experimenting with the layout, fonts, & colors. I was also very excited to see how much my avatar really represented me! Technology excites me, and although it can be overwhelming at times, in the end it really does make my life easier!

Week #2 ♦ Thing #3 ♦ Create Your Own Blog

Yahoo! Avatars

Week #1 ♦ Thing #2 ♦ Lifelong Learning

I am really excited about this course! I don’t consider myself “tech savvy,” but I do enjoy working with technology and trying new things. I can still remember my middle school days and discovering email and chat rooms. With college came Instant Messenger, digital cameras, iPods, and much more advanced cell phones. Now a decade later, I have the coolest resources at my disposal and I am excited to learn how to use them! I upload my son’s pictures to his online website/ blog so our family across the country can see him, take digital video of him so I can remember his milestones, I am fluent in the language of text messaging, and I use the Smartboard in my classroom everyday to keep my students actively engaged in my lessons. I look at technology as something that makes my life easier- and these days I will take all of the help I can get!

I have also always considered myself to be a lifelong learner. I am constantly seeking new opportunities to grow- spiritually, mentally, socially, and physically. Whether it is a dance or yoga class, a road trip, or just a good book, I am open to discovery and I welcome new opportunities. I am definitely organized- a true blue list-maker, so the first of the 7 ½ habits, “Begin with the end in mind,” epitomizes my philosophy. I have to set goals for myself. However, sometimes I get so focused on the task at hand, I have a tendency to forget the last but in my opinion, most important habit, to play. However, now with my baby boy, my priorities have shifted and I realize that there is nothing more valuable than my time with him and he reminds me that my greatest reward is my family and that I can always find the time to play.

Week #1 ♦ Thing #1 ♦ About

23 Things About the 23 Things:

1. Classroom Learning 2.0 blog
2. Part of the CSLA School Library Learning 2.0 program
3. Modified from The Learning 2.0 program designed by Helene Blowers (Technology Director, Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County)
4. Loosely based upon Stephen Abram's article, 43 Thing I (or You) might want to do this year(Information Outlook, February 2006) and the website 43 Things (Hyperlink to: http://www.43thing.com/)
5. Completely online
6. Teaching tool
7. Provides 23 "things" or online learning activities
8. Introduces emerging technologies
9. Encourages experimentation
10. Can help incorporate technology tools into teaching and library programs
11. Built on Web 2.0 technologies
12. Uses all free resources including: Blogger, Flickr, YouTube, PBWiki & Bloglines
13. Promotes self-discovery
14. Open to anyone who wants to grow
15. Can be completed in 9 weeks
16. Allows you to work at your own pace
17. Provides an outlet to share ideas with other educators
18. Helps educators stay up-to-date with the technologies students are using
19. Encourages learners to work together and share discoveries
20. Pushes participants to be resourceful
21. Supports learners with positive reinforcement
22. Provides support from the 2.0 team
23. Is fun!!!

-Information provided from the Classroom Learning 2.0 blog found at www.http://classroomlearning2.blogspot.com