Feedback

• What were your favorite discoveries or exercises on this learning journey?

My favorites exercises were those that allowed me to discover new creation tools, like the flowcharts and the video making tool. 

• How has this program affected your lifelong learning goals?

I never realized how important online collaboration is in the world of education. While I've always been a big user of the internet and social networking sites, I've learned that education and all its components are widely accessible through such places. As a new teacher, I will not have to feel alone in the struggle with so many comforting methods of communicating and growing. 

• Were there any take-a-ways or unexpected outcomes from this program that surprised you?

The fact that I created and kept up with a blog was quite unexpected for me. While I am entertained or educated by what others have to say in blogs and/or vlogs, I never thought that maybe I could be the entertainer or the educator. Now, I feel so much more confident posting about my opinions or experiences. 

• What could we do differently to improve upon this program’s format or concept?

I am pretty happy with the format and concept the way it is. I'm not ready to offer any suggestions for change.

• How will what you have learned influence your practice as a teacher?

I am completely sure I will take advantage of the online tools that are available. So many doors are have opened and there are still many discoveries to make. I'm excited to see what future holds in terms of educational tools, collaboration, and information. I believe it will only get easier to communicate and work with educators across the globe.

• 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 plan to keep following the blogs that I discovered that were created by current educators. 

Thing #23

• Now that you know about Creative Commons licensing, how will you use it in the future as a teacher?

Unlike Copyright laws, Creative Commons lets the teacher and the students know what they CAN do, not just what they CANNOT do. It is important to have a choice what happens to the materials you create and to know how you can use materials others have created. Creative Commons in the classroom is a way to share, collaborate, and reuse/remix materials such a multimedia to create projects which, in turn, stimulate knowledge growth and inspiration.

With CC, teachers can feel free to borrow from textbooks and other literature, lecture videos, and multimedia to develop lesson plans. Teachers can reuse already developed lesson plans, or combine bits and pieces from several lesson plans to create one super lesson plan. 

Thing #22

• What are the titles of your binders? 

Kingergarten Math, Kindergarten Literacy, Kindergarten Creative arts

• Discuss how you might use LiveBinders in the classroom, including possible lesson ideas for students.

I could definitely see how LiveBinders would be useful for an educator. It is a way to make a customized bookmarker, where you can organize and add links to your heart's desire. I chose to create tabs specifically for Kindergarten. Then I created subtabs for each subject. The one I embedded was a subtab under the Math tab. It shows a link to a math game that I would have my students play.

Your First Binder

Thing #21

Make a video of your own at Animoto.

I had so much fun using Animoto! I had no idea it was so easy to create something like this. I chose a few photos from my Facebook that I took during a trip to Santa Fe a couple years ago.

My only complaint is that I wasn't able to preview the templates or the music. I had to add them to my pictures and then preview the whole video to see the template and hear the music.

Thing #20

What did you like or dislike about the site and why did you choose the video that you did?

I love YouTube! I use it almost every day. I do make my own videos, but I watch so many different kinds. I love music videos, how-to videos, fitness or workout videos, and so on. I haven't found much I do not like about the site, except the endless rude and nasty comments than accompany most videos. I chose the video below because it deals with two very important topics to me: Early childhood education and technology.

Can you see any features or components of the site that might be interesting if they were applied to your library website?

YouTube is like a visual library. One could spend hours, days even, exploring videos on what interests them, or on what they are researching. One would, of course, run into pointless or junk videos, so it's important to monitor what is being viewed.

Thing #19

Are you a member of any online communities?

I'm a member of Facebook,Twitter, and IMDB. I also use Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest, if those are considered online communities. Another popular online community I've joined is Myfitnesspal. I use it to track my calorie intake and my cardio. It can also be used to share weight loss stories and advice. When I was expecting my second baby, I joined Babyfit. That was so neat because you can join a forum with other ladies who are expecting the same month and year as you. It was so exciting to share growing belly photos, doctor appointment updates, and gender news.

Are any of these social networks appealing to you?

I blogged about Classroom 2.0 in my last post. I found it so organized and loaded with information for teachers or blossoming teachers. It certainly appealed to me and I'll most likely keep it bookmarked.

What did you find that was interesting and that you might use later?

I found it interesting that so many of the sites mentioned, and others like it, are considered online communities. I've used them for so long, it's simply become part of my everyday living. I've become numb to how innovative they are. You don't have to walk out your front door to be part of a community or find people with the same interests as you.

Thing #18

Why is it important that educators know how social networking works?

Like with any tool, the more one knows about it and its functioning, the better. Social networking is another way to collaborate and share. Educators should also be aware of the negatives of social networking, such as oversharing personal information. I strongly believe that educators are important community figures, and should be professional even outside of work. Since starting my teacher education journey, I am always cautious of what I put online and how I represent myself.

 What new insights did you gain about these popular sites?

Begin a twenty-something female, I'm very familiar with Facebook and Twitter! But I will say that I have found that these sites can be used for more than just socializing. I can "like" or "follow" pages that pertain to the subject matter I'm studying.

 What did you like or dislike about each of the sites you explored?

I like most of the features of both sites. I do not use Twitter very often, but I use Facebook constantly. I use it as a method of sharing photos and updates with my friends and family. I do dislike the dark side of online living. Many people, especially kids, end up posting things they regret. It's so easy to make misguided comments in the heat of a moment. It's also easy to harass people using these sites.

Which site had the most useful features?

I definitely say Facebook is the most useful.

Can you see a classroom or school application for any of these sites?

Certainly. APSU, for one, uses Facebook to give its students, faculty, and alumni a way to connect and share.