The world is not flat

I will admit that this 23 Things exercise was frustrating at times.  It did, however, expose me to a plethora of teaching-related tools, resources and ideas while serving to expand my identity as a teacher.  This program has reinforced, several times over, the fact that it is crucial for teachers to stay as current as possible with emerging instructional technologies; our students, will without any doubt.  Exposure to the technology-based tools during my journey through the 23 Things provided me with some additional insight into the resources available for teachers and I aspire to remain a part of this community throughout my career. 

23 and one to go

The answer to part one of the 23^rd Things can be found in the credits portion of the 23 Things Page.  The specific graphic which describes the Creative Commons description is posted here: 

Here is the original description:

Credits

Learning 2.0 - 23 Things for Teachers is based on Learning 2.0 - 23 Things, a staff development program for the Mesquite Independent School District. That program was based on the Learning 2.0 program that was designed by Helene Blowers and adapted by the California School Library Association and others. Content and style for Learning 2.0 - 23 Things for Teachers has been borrowed and duplicated with permission, under a Creative Commons License.

I will be educating my students on Creative Commons licensing by utilizing the power point demonstration that I have previously created in my Instructional Technologies class.  Knowledge of copyright laws is very important considering the massive amount of media available to today’s students. 



22 Binders

I can see the value of maintaining a LiveBinders account, but I did not find the site to be very user friendly and I became frustrated rather quickly while trying to add content to my binders and shelves.  I created three binders:  Personal Teaching Resources, Social Studies, and Historical references.
Here is a link to my binder:  Teaching Resources Binder

Animoto

Service

I really enjoyed this Thing.  I will certainly return here if I ever end up in the dog house again, inevitable of course.  I am sure that my students will be able to use Animoto in a few different ways.  I can see this being used as an initial project for them to complete which will serve as an introduction of themselves or as supporting media for a report on their summer vacations.  Great "Thing". 

Thing #20

To say that YouTube contains a vast amount of informational videos would be a huge understatement.  As a teacher resource, YouTube provides the educator with content that can be used a primary source for teaching as well as educational videos that are great tools for supplementing lesson plans on almost every subject imaginable.  I find myself on this site almost on a daily basis and I doubt that I will ever cease to be amazed by the level and diversity that can be found here. 

I found a very educational video regarding an individual's "thought" on higher education.  Enjoy. 

Thing #19

I like TeacherPop.  I think that sites like these that are comprised of professionals working in a specific field serve as both a good support group and a location to retrieve and share valuable, career-based information and resources.  I am now a proud member of this site and I am sure that I will frequent it on a regular basis. 

Egg on your Face-book

Social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, in my humble opinion, provide more opportunities for people to hurt others than help them.  The only reason that I maintain a Facebook page is to keep in touch with some of my family members.  I have a very minimal friends list and it is going to remain minimal.  The subject of Facebook has already been addressed to us students here at the University on more than one occasion and it has been recommended by staff that we privatize our social networking pages to the highest extent possible for our own protection.  If it were not for the fact that I have no other way to communicate with some family members I would not be a Facebook subscriber. 

Deliciousness

Well I am now an official member of Delicious.  I am still not sure how I feel about that yet, but I am working on it.  I can see why some people would want to use this type of page in order to get a feel about certain sites, but I would much rather make those types of determinations on my own.  I was able to rediscover a site called “how stuff works”.  I actually contributed to some of the information found on their site regarding Bradley Fighting Vehicle Systems.  Ahh, the good ole’ days.

Thing #16

I utilized the iGoogle page because I am pretty used to the graphics and layouts associated with Google apps and pages.  The process of creating my customized page was quick and easy which is a good thing considering the fact that it will no longer be available after 01 November.  I also created my to-do list and attached it to my customized page.  The first item on this list is also my last and you can see it in the screen shot below. 

I am out of the sandbox

This exercise did nothing but frustrate the heck out me.  I thought that I left a comment in the sandbox of gloom and pain on several occasions, but at this point I have absolutely no idea.  I aspire to never go through an experience like this again.  I am taking my ball and moving over to thing #16.  Good day. 

Thing #14

I created accounts for both Gliffy and Mindmeister.  Gliffy was much easier to use, and although I am able to accomplish much of what is available in Gliffy by simply using Office tools, having a site dedicated to the creation and editing of flowcharts is pretty handy, especially in a classroom environment.  The tools associated with Mindmeister were much more complicated and I doubt that I would ever utilize them again for myself, let alone for a group of 5^th grade social studies students. 

Lucky 13

 

Had I been aware of ZOHO I might have made the decision not to purchase all of the Microsoft Office products that I currently own.  Having said this; I do find that I am able to work more fluently with Office than I am with these other alternatives.  Perhaps this ease of use has more to do with the fact that I have been using Office tools for such a long time.  After exploring both ZOHO and Google Docs, I prefer ZOHO as it is a bit easier for me to negotiate.  Google Docs, however, could be a more useful classroom tool because it contains a feature that allows for students to collaborate by sharing a document or other work.  Students can work together to edit each other’s documents, along with the teacher, in order to receive real time feedback on their work.

Thing #12

I am certain that I would never make a personal or family calendar public, but for classroom purposes I think that a Google calendar would be a great thing to have for teachers, students, administrators and parents alike.  Instead of a child coming home to the boring parental posed question of “what did you do in school today”, they could be confronted with “how did your project on photosynthesis work out for you?” 

                I went ahead and created a calendar for family use.  Since I have to do the work for school anyway, it might as well end up becoming something that I can continue to benefit from.  I also took the opportunity to download the Google calendar app to my droid bionic so that I can continue to access everything on the go.  I shared my calendar with my family members, linking it to their email accounts.  I am sure that they will still claim to be unaware of everything that I post on it though, but it is definitely worth a try.  Google calendar has a neat function that updates the HTML code after changes are made so that you can embed a current version of your calendar in to your blog.  FYI, my life really is as boring as the calendar would lead you to believe I am sorry to admit.  I have attached a link to the calendar. 

https://www.google.com/calendar/render?cid=396a3t8q6r295oafv1shc2ls0s%40group.calendar.google.com

Thing #11

After working down the list of suggested search tools, I found that Google blog search was the easiest of the bunch.  Although you need to be somewhat specific, the results of the search are almost all content related and after some additional searching, you are bound to find what you were looking for. 

                Topix.net was great because it automatically generated an entire page of news, topics, and events that were specific to my current location.  After playing around there I subscribed immediately.  The page is not too busy, is easy to navigate, and most of the content is highly relevant to anyone living in the selected area. 

                Technorati is a very blog-specific site dedicated to everything “blog”.  The site is very user friendly and they have a very good help tab if you do run into any problems while negotiating the content. 

                I am somewhat of a movie buff and I was able to find some pretty good film-related feeds.  Instead of having to visit multiple websites dedicated to movies, these feeds roll up multiple stories and consolidate them right in one spot.  Some of the more unusual blogs were sort of politically centered and had to do with topics that were very ideological.  The bottom line is that there is a blog for almost any interest and although the content is almost bottomless, the blogosphere must be travelled with the knowledge that some of the content is based on point of view, opinion and bias.  As a tool for rapidly locating specific content-based information however, RSS feeds are unmatched. 

Thing #10

These RSS feeds are a great innovation.  The remarkable aspect of it all is the accuracy to which the suggested content interests me.  Not only am I able to instantly see the latest information relevant to my personal subscriptions, but having a Google reader account really serves as tool that automatically discovers sites which contain new and interesting ideas and information.  I could surf the net for 3 hours and not come up with the wide variety of content associated with a reader account.  Having a reader account is a great tool and it is one that I will use in my personal and professional life on a daily basis. 

                Teachers could utilize the RSS to remain current on all sorts of various technologies and information included in hundreds of different sites.  The feeds that I am receiving on my own reader page have served to introduce me to content on the web that I didn’t even know existed.   I have found some useful information on everything from home improvement to the latest movie-related news.  I am a big fan already and I have made my reader page my home page.  This has been a very useful Thing exercise. 

What a great idea......

Fitness information fed straight to me....

It will not end up looking this good, but I will give it a shot......

Thing #9

The image generators that I messed around with were ok.  I think that they need to be refined a bit, but I do have to remind myself that they are all free.  I found that I didn’t have much control over the layout and that users are pretty much relegated to the original templates when playing with these.  There is also a great free photo editing site called pixlr and I have attached a link for that site as well.  I am not entirely sure how I would incorporate the use of these image generators in the classroom, but I am always open to suggestions. 

http://www.fakemagazinecover.com/

http://license.plates.txt2pic.com/

Here is the link to Pixlr:

http://pixlr.com/

Thing #8

I think that students would enjoy utilizing some of the Flickr mashups for various learning activities because they are very visually interesting and relatively simple to use.  I really like the apps that involve mapping and geography.  The ability to easily insert a picture that serves as a graphic representation of a certain geographic area is a great learning tool.  I found that in order to utilize these tools more easily or at all for that matter, you really do need to set up an actual Flickr account.  I have mine set up now and will be using it both professionally and personally from here on out.  Thing 8 has served as another booster rocket propelling me out into the information highway. 

                After creating my Flickr account, I utilized the Jigsaw mashup by Big Huge Labs to create a jigsaw puzzle of a skyline shot of Las Vegas. 

 

Thing #7

Flickr is not only a data base for exceptional pictures, but the interactive aspects of it are very interesting.  They say that a picture is worth a thousand words, but with the tags containing great little tidbits of information that are inserted into many of the photographs, the word count in worth has risen dramatically.  I was able to effortlessly spend about an hour in Flickr initially and I found many exceptional pictures.  The one that I have attached and supplied a link to was interesting to me because I think that it represents a very early version of a web page.  The photograph was taken by a man named Jack Delano in 1939 in Brockton, Mass and it was part of the documentation process associated with the Farm Security Administration which later merged into the Office of War Information.

  The shop’s window is arranged very similar to what the results of a modern day Google search might look like.  It is interesting to see how the people casually gather in front of the window to look over the information. 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/library_of_congress/2179041640/in/set-72157603671370361

Thing #6

 E-learning for Kids is a fantastic site for web 2.0 users.  It contains hundreds of premade lessons and tutorials for multiple subjects and age groups.  This is a very time management friendly site for teachers because all of the activities are 100% pre-designed and ready to go.  They are fun to do and the children gain computer experience while completing them.  Some of the activities even generate certificates of completion.  I especially like the fact that much of the content found here is designed to illicit parental involvement.  The life skills courses are fantastically done and the fact that they are interactive with multiple outcomes is a great way to involve the entire class at once.  This is a great site that I will definitely be putting into my toolbox for future use.   Here is the link to E-learning for kids: 

 

 

 

 

http://www.go2web20.net/site/?a=eLearning4Kids

 

Thing #5

I am going to go a bit against the proverbial grain concerning the advent of the technology associated with web 2.0 and the praises touted about it in these articles.  I freely admit that we are in an age of almost unlimited information sharing and that as a resource for information, web 2.0 is unmatched in human history.  There remains one critical aspect of this ever-expanding resource that has yet to be addressed and that is the difference between accumulated and applied knowledge. 

                I believe whole heartedly that technology is changing and will continue to change the way that we teachers operate in the classroom, but probably not in the way that most of us would consider.  You see, regardless of the quantity of information that is available, the ability to refine, shape, and apply this knowledge in an effective manner, usable on a daily basis in practical situations, will be the cornerstone on which effective teaching will be built.  It is no secret that children today are much more adept at assimilating and using current technology, they are born into it and it serves as a virtual extension of their own environment.  How then do we teachers supplement the data provided by web 2.0 tools and beyond?  It is simple, we teach by example, by experience, and by a demonstrated proficiency of application.  In the old days we called this by two words; experience and wisdom. 

                I am not fighting the advent of web 2.0, but simply raising a caution flag.  What is the use of a child learning about a chemical reaction if he or she is not allowed to conduct a hands-on experiment and then learn how these processes affect our lives and the lives of others on a daily basis?  There are numerous websites dedicated to forestry and conservation, with countless facts and statistics available to commit to memory for an exam, but what good do they do for the child who has never been in the woods?   The study of music history or theory is fantastic, but hand out some recorders, triangles and tambourines to a classroom of 3^rd graders and watch the magic happen. 

Thing #4

After reading the discover resources for Thing #4 it was quickly revealed to me that I knew absolutely nothing about blogging or the blogosphere in general.  This exercise has exposed me to an entirely new virtual world and I was surprised to discover that it isn’t new chronologically at all.  The art of blogging has been developing since the mid 90’s really, and there seems to be a few unwritten rules regarding blogging etiquette, or perhaps “webiquette” could be a new word coined for these virtual morays.  One of these etiquette-related blog issues involves commenting.  I suspect that most bloggers generate their comments based on the things that they are interested in or passionate about and it would follow that most would appreciate feedback on the content that they author.  I believe that these comments serve to validate the blog, therefore bringing relevance in the form of meaningful feedback.  Comments can also serve to shape and form the content of a blog, inspiring the author to expand upon previous thoughts or to introduce new content which may parallel the reader’s similar interests.  These comments, I believe, serve as a sort of virtual body language in the absence of face-to-face communication and really provide an important impetus for further blogging activity.  As with traditional communication forums, a response to a reader’s comment is thought to be in order, especially if the comment made serves to supplement the original post in a meaningful way; not unlike a thank you letter written for the purpose of displaying gratitude for services rendered.  I really appreciate the section written by Vicki Davis regarding “Darth Commenter”.  I have noticed that with the advent of social media sites like Face Book, Twitter, and My Space, that there are individuals who seem to become emboldened by the anonymity associated with interacting with others in the virtual world.  As a consequence, some may find it easier to post some very rude and sometimes malicious content.  The ramifications associated with this behavior are sometimes nonexistent and this fact allows others to post some pretty negative and hurtful things online.  I believe that it is extremely important to respect others while commenting on a blog and to demand the same. 

The following is a rollup of the comments that I made on both my fellow student’s blogs and the two additional that I chose along with a brief description of why I made these comments.

                Response to Adrienne Vergos:  I think that we coddle our children too much these days.  We seem to be in an age where everyone is a winner, everyone is special and everyone is brilliant with unlimited potential.  This is, of course, is not true.  Instead of creating the false idea that someone is always going to be there to hold a child’s hand through the situations associated with daily life, perhaps a better course of action would be to create a learning environment where children are allowed to make personal decisions, be criticized when needed, and to deal with the consequences of their actions, both positive and negative.  I believe that this approach would better prepare children for the realities that they will surely encounter in their futures and will help to promote a more fulfilling learning experience. 

                I made this comment on Adrienne’s blog because I could relate to her discussion regarding the fact that individual’s tend not to take responsibility for their own actions in today’s world.

                Response to Martitza Baer:  If you are a cave woman then I am surely in that cave somewhere drawing on the wall with a piece of charcoal.  Having no previous experience with blogging, it was very challenging for me to begin the 23 Things process. I am determined to become more familiar with the web 2.0 tools because I truly believe that technology is going to define the future of the profession of teaching.  Good luck to you on your blogging journey! 

                I made this comment on Martitza’s blog because I can definitely relate to the uncertainty of dealing with new, technology-based tools like blogs.

                Response to Michelle Clark:  I really like the idea of using a class blog to maintain an open line of communication with parents.  If done correctly, I think that it could serve to promote a lot more interaction with their children regarding their day-to-day activities and to be more proactive with the status of their individual progress.  It could also serve as a tool to reach out to those parents who are a bit more apprehensive toward visiting with the teacher in the actual classroom. 

                I made this comment to Michelle because she mentioned the idea of using a blog to communicate with parents.

                Response to Emily Scott:  I believe that taking responsibility for your own learning is the most important habit of those that were listed.  You used a lot of the same language that I did in my post regarding this activity and I believe strongly that the degree of learning is directly associated with the degree of effort put forth by the individual. 

                I made this comment to Emily because we shared a similar view regarding the 7 ½ Habits listed in the tutorial. 

                My two additional comments were also made on fellow student’s blogs because so far, that is my only frame of reference.  I will be searching out more blogs in the near future as I recognize the value of becoming familiar with this communication forum. 

                Response to Kasey Howe:  I really like the idea of blog pals.  This would be a great extension of the ancient practice of pen pals back in the day.  The idea of sharing different viewpoints, defined by demographic, culture and geography is very interesting. 

                I responded to Kasey’s blog because she sits next to me in class and I am somewhat familiar with her.  I found her idea of blog pals to be a very good one with a lot of potential for additional learning experiences. 

                Response to Anetta Patterson:  I have a very similar view regarding yours on the value of commenting.  Without comments, I don’t believe that I, as a blogger, would continue to discuss a particular subject; not knowing whether or not I had an audience, let alone an interested one. 

                I made this response to Anetta because she was directly above Kasey Howe in my queue.  I also made it because we used some of the same language in our blogs. 

 

 

Thing #3

In the military we would analyze our training constantly.  The results of this analysis would be used to create what we called lessons learned and then these lessons learned would ultimately end up somewhere within our standard operating procedures.  After looking through the 50 Must-see Teacher Blogs, I was impressed with the vast amount of information derived from the real life experiences of educators and some of the projects that they created and implemented

and I could see that their blogs served as a very good comparison for the training evaluations that I was a part of in the military.    

 

                I am not sure to what extent I would be willing to engage in blogging with my students yet, but as a data base both of and for peer-level activities and events, blogs are an amazing resource. 

I am aware that I need a bit more exposure to the world of blogging, but from what I have reviewed so far I am certain that blogs will be something that I will be placing in my toolbox.   

 

Thing #2

While creating my blog, the fact that I have no previous experience with blogs or blogging quickly became evident.  I spent a lot of time conducting trial and error sessions with all of the different aspects of this process and it was, at times, a bit disheartening.  My learning curve in regard to this process is nice and steep, however, and it is because of this that any progress made was regarded by me as a celebratory-level achievement.  Due to my previous inexperience I created the names associated with my blog with nothing but simplicity in mind. 

                In creating my avatar I was a bit disappointed that there were no options for a shell representing a grizzled, high-mileage, middle-aged male with left and right hip osteoarthritis, but after some effort I believe that I ended up with a graphic representation of myself worthy of placement in the Matrix, or at the very least, a decent Wii game. 

 

Thing #1

The easiest learning habit for me would be taking responsibility for my own learning.  Having served in the military for quite some time I have come to realize that no training aid, professional development school or fantastic instructor is going to make a difference if I am not motivated to acquire the knowledge myself. 

                The hardest learning habit would be to begin with the end in mind.  I really have no background that could provide a common frame of reference for me doing anything other than the positions which defined my military career.  I suspect, however, that as I progress through my Masters program, the reality of becoming a professional teacher will begin to solidify. 

                Although I have worked with many technology-based systems in the Army, the tools that are associated with Web 2.0 are a little different.  I am hoping that I can start to capitalize on the similarities a bit more quickly as much of the process of creating my own blog and avatar has been a little frustrating.  As with all new learning, incorporating what I learn and using it on a daily basis will be one of the keys to my success here.