Thing 23

This class has given me the opportunity to explore many of the Web 2.0 tools available. Although I have been aware of many of the tools through workshops I have taken, I never took the time to explore them to any great extent. Taking this class encouraged me to make the time to try the tools. Being an on-line, self-paced class allowed me to complete the assignments on my time schedule. I found this to be a plus as a computer is usually not far away whether at home or at school. Having never blogged before presented the obstacle of what to say and how to say it. However, during the course of the last few weeks it has become comfortable to state my ideas and opinions. Also, the suggestions on how to comment on blogs and make a contribution was a good lesson to learn.

Since I teach computer classes, I have always viewed computer use from the perspective of the software. The Internet was incorporated into the class but not the main focus of the class. This class has made me realize there are tools on the Internet that students may already be using that could be incorporated into the classroom environment. Of course, this would depend on the district allowing student access to some of the tools that are now blocked.

As an educator, it is important to keep up with the latest trends. I feel fortunate to have had the chance to take this class as computer use is changing to incorporate Web 2.0 tools. This trend will become more apparent as teachers infuse more of these tools into their curriculum. I plan to continue to visit the tools already learned and to find a way to use them in my classes.

This class has emphasized that education is always evolving. In today's world the changes are occurring at a faster pace. Consequently, it is important for all educators to become aware of new methods and to incorporate them into their classroom for the benefit of their students.

Thing 22

Here is my wiki. I can see a use for a wiki in the classroom when there is a need to have collaboration on a group project. Being a member of a group and being able to see and to edit each other's work from different computers is a time saver. I have worked on too many group projects where the emails are flying or everyone is sitting around one computer trying to put a project together. A wiki is more fluid with the original information being changed or updated by members of the group as needed. A blog seems more static. Information is posted and a person can comment on it perhaps adding new insights but not changing the original post. Also, a blog is in chronological order with the comments following the post.

Thing 21

Although there are some very good wikis listed that have been created for classrooms, I still have difficulty as to how to use one in my classroom. I know that I would have to be more familiar with the entire concept before I attempted it with students. My concern is that students would be able to add or to alter other student's work. Middle school students are not always kind. What they believe to be funny could be perceived as cruel to another student.

At this time, I could envision using this with the staff. It would be a great tool to be used along with PLC meetings. Any document that needs to be created could be done in a collaborative manner among the members of that community. Plus there is an area for discussion. A wiki that I found which demonstrates this idea is entitled Web in the Classroom Wiki. It provides good web resources from many teachers.

Thing 20

Navigating EPN was easy. However, most of the podcasts that interested me were either nonexistent or dated. Podcast Alley was user friendly and had a good selection of choices. Subscribing through Bloglines was easy. I subscribed to Teacher 2.0. This had a selection of podcasts on e-learning tools, Internet sites, and Web 2.0 technologies. Each podcast is short and the site is updated on a regular basis. The easiest site to use was iTunes. The interface is user friendly. Subscribing did not present any problems. However, on iTunes I subscribed to more podcasts of personal interest rather than anything to do with education.

Thing 19

The first podcast I listened to was on Internet Safety. This podcast was an interview of Prof. Michael Quinn, Dean of Science and Engineering at Seattle University. He is the author of the book, Ethics for the Information Age. This interview discussed the use of the Internet from the standpoint of safety and ethics. He brought up some interesting points to consider:

• Technologist need to think about unintended consequences of new technologies.
• When should parents allow children to use certain technologies? Let kids be kids.

This interview was interesting, but beyond the scope of the age group I teach. However, this podcast could be used as a resource for me with the important points being restated to the student level.

The second podcast I listened to was What is Web 2.0? This podcast gave a description of Web 2.0 in contrast to Web 1.0. It also described how students would be able to use Web 2.0 tools in their schoolwork.

The information in the second podcast could be used to explain the Web 2.0 and its potential in education. However, the information seemed dated--maybe because I have been so immersed in this class. Keeping podcast information timely became evident to me.

The contrast between the two podcasts made me realize they have different uses. The interview was more entertaining as two people were talking and bantering with each other. The second podcast seemed more information based, like a lecture, as one person was talking. Also, to me using the computer involves the visual. It was odd just listening to someone talking and not seeing much on the screen. Using an iPod for a podcast makes sense as it is mobile and can be taken with you as you do something else.

Thing 18

Classroom use was obvious when using Slidehare. If a presentation already exists, there is no need to reinvent the wheel. A large amount of time could be saved by using this site. It offers a wide selection of presentations on a variety of subjects. By uploading your own presentation, the problem of emailing a large file is eliminated. Also, the presentation is available for use at all times. Due to the large number of topics, Slideshare could be used in my personal life to explore some topics of interest.

I choose a presentation on Copyright as this is an area that students often find confusing. The author did a nice job explaining the subject with a good use of graphics and color.

Copyright Basics

View more presentations from William Breitsprecher.

Thing 17

I tried a few of the productivity tools, but the one I liked the best was Remember the Milk--even the name seemed interesting. I am always looking for a new way to organize myself, and this seemed like a good tool to try. However, after listing the tasks I realized that it would be more effective to use this on a mobile device rather than just a computer. This is the type of tool that you would want to take with you. I did like the idea of sharing the tasks with someone else and reminding them to "remember the milk" on the way home.

Thing 16

Google Docs can be used in my personal life when I work on a collaborative document. The ability to access a document through the Internet from different locations and to be used by multiple users simultaneously is a time saver. Google Docs would be convenient to use when planning a family reunion and family members were compiling attendance, events, or menu items. Having one document for everyone to work on would stop the deluge of email attachments.

At school Google Docs could change how a computer applications class is taught. A component of a computer applications class is to use an identical assignment for all students in order to teach them how to use the Microsoft software. It is not a collaborative effort. With Google Docs it would be possible for students to have a completed assignment saved in Google Docs with other students having access to it. The Google Docs document could be accessed and saved by any invited student in the format used by Microsoft products and handed in as their own work. The students could create a group using a home computer and their own email addresses.

Also, with Google Docs being readily available and free will Microsoft products become obsolete? Although Google Docs does not possess the advanced features of the Microsoft products, it has a good selection of the basic features most people use. In addition, it is accessible from any computer with Internet access. School districts are facing budget cuts and software licensing for a district is expensive. This could be seen as an inexpensive solution.

Thing 15

After completing Thing 15, RSS is becoming easier to understand. Due to the large amount of information available today from so many sources it is difficult to keep up. Having the news delivered to me in a timely fashion is far more efficient than having to search for it. Combining Delicious with Bloglines is another avenue to scan information effectively.

Once again lack of time is the enemy. Presently, I check my feeds occasionally. This will have to become a habit I develop over time.

Thing 14

I like the fact that Delicious is accessible from any computer with Internet access. More accessibility should allow me to become more organized in my use of bookmarks. Working on more than one computer has always been difficult as the bookmarked links were not easily transferable. In addition, with Delicious I can use the web sites of other users with a common interest. Tagging will let me target proven sites and help me find sites that I may have otherwise missed.

A classroom Delicious account could be set up to allow students access to preselected sites for research. Secondary students should be encouraged to set up their own account for research due to the use of home and school computers. Set up could be done at home as it does require an email address. They should be able to access the Delicious site at school.

Thing 13

Tagging is a good way to organize digital resources. Using tags makes it easier to locate your own resources and the resources of others. I like the fact that delicious is an Internet site that can be accessed at any computer. Too many times, I have bookmarked a site on my school computer and have had to email the link to my home computer. Delicious will eliminate this process.

The advantages of tagging are to reduce the time looking for a favorite web site and to allow the user to share the web site in a collaborative manner. The disadvantage of tagging is the lack of a uniform system for keywords, vocabulary used, or structure. Not having a set standard can lead to confusion as to the meaning of a tag.

Before assigning a tag it is important to remember this information will be shared with others. Therefore, the tag should relate to the bookmarked site making it easier to find.

Thing 12

The widget was easy to embed. I had to remember to use the Html section so the reminder in the directions was helpful. The tough part was to make a choice--there are so many widgets. I tried a few different sites and decided upon Widgetbox. The ads didn't seem as obvious.

I am familiar with Facebook. Most people I know use these sites to stay in touch with family and friends. The relationship has already been formed, and existing relationships can be strengthened. I think kids like these sites because it is one more way to stay in touch with their friends. Also, they can personalize these pages to reflect who they are today.

Thing 11

When I received my first comment, I was surprised and curious. I had expected Kathy to read my blog and comment on what I was doing, but I had not expected other participants to comment. It felt good to know that someone took the time to read my blog and tell me what they think of it. Comments provide feedback and interaction between the members of an online community. Communication keeps the blog interesting and alive. As I was writing my comments, I took time to be thoughtful in what I said and was careful of spelling and grammar. I would hope students would do the same.

Thing 10

Here is a video of one of my favorite groups--The Doobie Brothers.



2010 and I'm still listening to the music. Don't you love their hair?

Using KeepVid I was able to download a video. The method was easy to do, and it is a good way to be able to show YouTube videos at school.

Thing 9

I thoroughly enjoyed using YouTube. I liked watching the music videos and reruns of old TV shows. The downside is the amount of time it took to view everything. There always seemed to be one more thing to find. Perhaps if I used it more often I wouldn't have gotten so drawn into it.

I found some useful videos on Teacher Tube dealing with Excel spreadsheets and charts. Also, there were some good videos on Internet safety. YouTube is restricted on our school computers, and I understand at least one reason why--it can be very distracting.

Thing 8

Thing 8 was a lot of fun, but very time consuming. There were so many different ideas to try. Both sites offered good links and many choices. However, I enjoyed using Big Huge Labs and just worked my way down the list and tried anything that looked interesting. Each of the links I tried was easy to do and easy to download the final result. Using the same picture each time, I was amazed at the different results I received.

Some of the links presented create projects that students do in my computer classes. The difference is that I have them use Microsoft products or Photoshop Elements. It would be interesting for my students to see how to do both versions and to compare the final results.

Thing 7

Using Flickr was a lot of fun. Flickr was easy to set up and to use. The instructional video was good--but unnecessary as the directions on the web site were easy to understand. In my quest to respect family members' privacy, I faced my biggest obstacle as all my photos seem to have a family member in them. That was easily overcome when I realized the photo subject didn't matter as much as learning how to use Flickr. Therefore, photos of my yard were used.

Flickr could be used in the classroom to store photographs for student use. The teacher could upload the photos at any time to make them available to students. Students would be able to access them during class. The obstacles I see would be how to keep the students on task as it is easy and fun to search for various subjects. Also, if a student started to search, he/she could find inappropriate photographs. Another obstacle could be having a classroom of students searching for the same photographs. Would they all be able to access them at the same time?

Thing 6

I wasn't too sure what subject to choose when looking for photographs. Then I found some beach scenes which caught my attention. This is a photograph of a beach at sunset. I enjoy looking at this seascape as I grew up near the ocean. I was drawn to this particular photograph due to the colors. They invoke a feeling of peace and serenity. Also, it reminded me how the beach looked at the end of a fun-filled day.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/elpresidente408/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

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Thing 5

RSS was easy to do. The instructions provided were uncomplicated and concise. Searching for blogs took some time, and I don't believe I found anything that unusual. I was glad to connect to the blogs recommended and have found them to be informative. In my personal life, I find this a great way to keep up with the news. No more searching for it--it comes to me. My only problem seems to be the time factor. Searching for blogs and keeping up with them is time consuming. More and more I seem to be tied to the computer, both at work and at home.

Thing 4

When I started this journey and saw all the blogs, I wondered how anyone could keep up with all the information. However, after doing this assignment, I realize what a good tool this will be to organize the information and have it come to you. It will be there when you have a chance to read it. I guess it is like everything else--relax and do what you can. Plus it is important to remember you are the person in charge of your blog and can unsubscribe if it gets to be too much.

Thing 3

A blog could be incorporated in classroom assignments where students could respond to posted questions. Also, it could be used to post articles for students to read. In addition, blogging could be helpful for students to reflect on what they learned at the end of each unit of instruction or what they would like to see included in the class. As a middle school teacher, I like the idea that student content can be monitored before it is approved for posting.

One concern I have is how easy it is for students to be distracted when on a computer. Although blogging would initially be a novelty, I could see where students would want to wander to other areas of the Internet. Also, I wonder how much time it would take for a teacher to follow up with the students. I am sure they would want comments. Using blogs continues to demonstrate the divide between students who have access to the Internet at home and students who are only able to access the Internet at school or the public library.

Thing 1 and Thing 2

I am participating in 23 Things to learn more about the Web 2.0 and how to utilize the tools available in the classroom and in my personal life. So often it seems time is spent on the computer at work and at home repeating the same tasks. I have heard of interesting sites, but never seem to have the time to check them out. Being in a class will encourage me to make the time.

Watching the video confirmed my belief that students are learning in a different way than we are teaching. At the same time, the school presented in the article seemed like a fantasy--great in theory, but difficult to put into practice. The article did raise some practical questions: Who will provide the technology and at what cost? How to keep students on task when it is easy to be distracted by the technology? When students create a wiki, are they learning verifiable facts or some one's opinion?

Writing on the Internet for anyone to read is a different kind of experience. I know that I will be careful about what I write as it is never really deleted. At the same time, I question how many people, other than my classmates, will be interested in reading what I say.