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.

Thing #17

I visited Delicious, and after searching for "educational technology", I clicked on Classroom 2.0. I was able to see the comments made. Most of the comments gave a description of the site, which is a social networking site for educators and those interested in Web 2.0 and other such tools.

This was just one of many links that would be so very helpful and interesting to educators. I think being able to bookmark sites like this, and search for others' bookmarks, would act as a personal library for a teacher. Anytime the teacher wishes to discover more about a subject, learn how to use a certain tool, or interact with other educators or knowledgably people, he or she can turn to a site like Delicious or Diigo to access mounds of information.

Thing #16

• Which start page did you choose? Why did that one appeal to you? Will you make it your permanent home page?

I chose to use iGoogle, because I'm familiar with Google and I liked how quick n' easy the set up was. I would certainly consider making it my homepage, but I noticed a banner at the top that said iGoogle would not be avaiilable after November, 2013.

• How can the online calendars be useful to you?

I tend to use my iphone calendar pretty frequently to save dates for appointments and other scheduled events. I also use it to keep track of when certain events occurred. I don't access my pc as much as I do my phone so I'm not really interested in creating an online calendar, but I do think one would be very helpful to someone who uses their computer frequently.

• What about the to-do lists—helpful, too much work…?

Most of the links listed where for dead or dying sites. My belief is that most people are like me, and use their phone or tablet for everything these days. I use the app Paperless. It has multiple default lists like Groceries and Today to do lists, but you can change them and add more.

 

• Did you find a tool that has some uses for you at the school or at home? Which tool(s) would you recommend to others?

I explored a bit of the other tools listed, but wasn't too excited to sign up for free trials. I really think that apps are the way to go. I know one of the first investments I'll probably make as a teacher is a tablet dedicated to my work.

Thing #15

I took some time to explore the wiki links. I particularly liked the teacherlibrarianwiki. http://teacherlibrarianwiki.pbworks.com/w/page/19823570/FrontPage
If I were to describe a wiki in my own words, I would say it's a collaborative and informative blog that is authored by everyone! I think it could be very valuable in education as indicated in the wiki mentioned above. Teachers could combine ideas or spin off of other ideas written about. Students could get together with a subject and each new link could delve further into it. It seems to me that students are more confident participating in online interaction then in a classroom, at least academically. I think wikis would be great for an active conversation about literature, history, or any other subject.

Thing #14

For the flowchart, I chose Gliffy. I loved all the tools available on this site. There was so much to see and do. I played around quite a bit with the templates. I really enjoyed viewing the flowcharts. There were silly suggestions about Lady Gaga and figuring out who ate someone's lunch. There was an interesting and exciting variety. I also enjoyed the Venn Diagrams and Floor plans. Not only would these type of tools be functional in a business or educational setting, but also for personal use. However, I did notice that I only had a free trial, so eventually I'd have to make a purchase in order to continue to have full access to the tools on the site.

For the mindmap, I chose Bubbl.us. I played around a bit with the tool, but didn't find it very user friendly or interesting. I would liked to have had access to premade templates and more options overall. I'm not sure that I would use this site again.
I included a photo of a Venn diagram I came up with!

Thing #13

Students could use Google Drive or other such applications to share ideas and outlines for projects and papers. Group work is commonly assigned in schools, and much of the time students decide to work on portions of it on their own time. These applications can help students share, collaborate, and combine their work.
I definitely prefer Google Drive to Zoho. I had a difficult time with the Zoho writer. It would not allow me to paste into it. I had other issues with it as well. I probably will not attempt to use it again with Google Drive available.
I shared a document containing a recipe from one of the blogs I shared in an earlier post.

Laura Vitale's Coconut Chocolate chip cookies

Thing #12

http://translate.google.com/#en/es/

I think in this day and age, Google translate is a vital tool in the classroom. I am from the southwest, where the Hispanic culture is almost no longer a minority. In education, and in any career field, it is useful to know another language. At least, one should be able to communicate on a basic level with someone who doesn't know English. As a prospective teacher, it would be in my best interest to become fluent in Spanish. If I had the time and resources, I certainly would do so. However, tools like Google translate can give a teacher the head start he or she needs to communicate with students who are still learning English.

Thing #11

*Which method of finding feeds did you find easiest to use?
To find feeds, I used Google Reader. This is a new process for me, but I didn't find it too difficult. Although, there may have been a simpler way. I decided to start my RSS using a search on early childhood. There were several as one could imagine, but I clicked on a few that seemed relevant.

 *Which Search tool was the easiest for you?
I found Google blog search to be the easiest for me. I am already so familiar with Google and its style that typing in my search and clicking "blog" instead of "web" was a piece of cake. Technorati took a touch for getting used to but I really liked using it after I realized how simple it was to find the blogs on subjects that I wanted to know more personally.

 *Which was more confusing?
I didn't really enjoy searching Topix.net. I found it to be too "busy" and confusing.

 *What kind of useful feeds did you find in your travels?
I found quite a few newsfeed on Google concerning early childhood. That is a subject I intend to keep updated on. More interesting to me though were the blogs I found created by actual teachers. I used both Google blog search and Technorati to search for blogs concerning Kindergarten. I found so many great ones.

 *Or what kind of unusual ones did you find?
I didn't come across any that I would consider to be unusual. I did find a blog entitled "Mr. Kindergarten" and browsed it for some time. It was fun to see the perspective of this age group from a male teacher since it is pretty uncommon.

 *What other tools or ways did you find to locate newsfeeds?
I did attempt to use Feedzilla but found it to be more trouble than it was worth.

Thing #10

RSS can certainly be useful in one's personal life and professional life. In my daily life, I like to stay updated on topics that interest me. Using Google reader type of device makes that so much easier than searching the topics I follow individually.
I think as an educator, RSS would be especially helpful. A large part of the education world involves collaborating. When groups of educators, administrators, and parents want to collaborate on a certain topic or project, a device such as Google reader makes this very convenient.
In the classroom, a teacher and her students may wish to follow a certain event or subject that they are currently studying. It is much easier to do so when they simply have to wait for notifications than to search out the web.
RSS can create a strong relationship between a school and its community by keeping them both up to date and informed in a easier, more convenient fashion.

Thing #9

http://www.imagechef.com/t/vp73/Walk-of-Fame

I found this animation on imagechef.com and thought it was pretty cute. Who doesn't want to see their name on a star?! Sites such as this one help to develop graphic skills and encourage creativity. Learning is done best in a imaginative and cheerful environment. I think using imagine generators can only add to a colorful, successful environment.

Thing #8

I chose to use the mosaic maker. This tool was quick and easy to use. I linked it to my Facebook account and was able to choose any of my photos to create a mosaic. This is similar to an iphone app I use called Pic stitch. I'm sure how often I would use this type of tool in my personal life because I use my iphone for all things photo related. If I wanted to have a printed copy of such an image, though, this tool could probably create a much better quality than those from my phone.
I do think this may be a tool I'd use in the classroom for presentations or for my students to develop their technology skills.
http://bighugelabs.com/mosaic.php

Thing #7

I've chosen to create a Flickr account and selected to upload this image of my Yorkie. I have explored Flickr before in the past but never found the need to create an account as I usually only share my images with my family and friends on Facebook. I do use Picasa on my personal computer to store and edit images. I love exploring other people's images, especially those of landscapes and nature. However, I do see the need to have my own images out there on the web. Still, I may find such sites as Flickr useful in my classroom when I'm having my students conduct research or when I need to find images that will be helpful in my lessons.

Thing #6

http://www.powtoon.com/

While there were so many seemingly useful and entertaining tools on Go2Web2.0, I chose to further explore Powtoon. It is a site where anyone can create an animated presentation. I like that the site gives suggestions of how one would use the site, such as to demo a product, to teach a subject, or simply to make a creative animation for personal use. However, I didn’t like that the site neglects a younger audience. Elementary and middle school age children would probably have difficulty navigating and using the site. I definitely believe the site should create a child-friendly section so that younger children could easily use the site to their advantage. That said, Powtoon seems like a nice site for high school and college age individuals to explore and utilize. It also seems like a great site for teachers to create animations useful in the classroom or conference type setting.

Thing #5

I scanned a few of the articles concerning Web 2.0 and School 2.0, and I particularly found Web 2.0 is the Future of Education by Steve Hargadon informative and interesting. I noticed the article was written 5 years ago, and the author was spot on about the upcoming trends of Web 2.0. He makes a statement about how we cannot even began to imagine what will take place concerning education and technology. He was certainly correct on that prediction. 5 years ago, Facebook was barely becoming the phenomenon it is now. I’m not even sure if apps were becoming popular yet. These days, apps are just as important to our daily lives as our car keys. Even my tv has apps!

 

To me, School 2.0 isn’t just a trend or optional tidbits. It is a complete overhaul of the system. It has opened the floodgates to information, content, and technology. It is about bringing our new technology-rich lifestyles into the classroom and education environment. Is there cons to this? Of course. Like Hargadon mentions in his article, content-overload can pose a real problem when we aren’t aware of what we need and what we should disregard. However, this is an issue educators can help their students deal with.

Schools of the future will not be doing its children any favors if they don’t integrate the rapidly growing technology. Students need these skills to be successful in their lives, especially when it comes time for employment.

Thing #4

Explain why commenting helps create a sense of community and interaction

Commenting on what others have written lets the writer know that his or her words are making some sort of impact. The writer isn’t simply writing a personal account that will remain private. The writer is putting his or her opinion, advice, or story out there for the world to see. Commenting lets the writer know that readers care about what they have shared. Commenting also creates a conversation. Not only will the writer most likely have a response to a comment, but other readers will too. A conversation started in the comments can be insightful and informative, or can even become a blood-boiling argument. Either way, the writer and the readers have connected and have been heard.

 

Discuss two other points from the readings about commenting that you found important

 

Point #1: Commenting on blogs provides feedback to the writer. If the writer receives a large amount of strongly opinionated comments, then he or she is going to continue writing about that subject because the readers found it important. If the comments are majorly negative or express confusion, then the writer will wish to reiterate or maybe even change point of view. The writer can learn just as much from writing a blog as the reader can from reading it.

 

Point #2: While reading through the article on Wikipedia, I thought it was important to note that blogs can be another tool for marketing scams. Researchers need information on what the public is interested in and how these interests can create big business. Our seemingly innocent commenting can be providing information to those who have searched us out. The article also claimed that companies have taken to creating fake blogs in order to lure in the public and use their comments for marketing purposes.

Give the names of the seven blogs (5 from our group + 2 others of your choice) you selected to read and comment on and tell why you selected them

1.)  Steven Baldwin- I selected his blog because he is a classmate. I made a comment on his post Thing #3 because I had similar ideas, and also suggested another idea.

2.)  Billie Gibbs- also a classmate…I commented on her post Thing #4. I agreed with a comment she made, and added a bit of my own say.

3.)  Alexandra Tolbert- classmate…I commented on her post Thing #3. I believe she had an interesting perspective, and I like her writing style.

4.)  Michelle Terry-classmate…I commented on her post Thing #5. I agreed with a statement she made.

5.)  23 Things-Catherine Stiegler- classmate…I commented on her post Thing#1. I had similar content listed in my post Thing #1.

2 Blogs of my choice:

http://makeupbytiffanyd.blogspot.com/- I’m a girly girl and I love how easy and fun it is to find blogs out there about all things girly! This blog in particular is one of my favorites. The creator discusses all thing beauty related, like fashion, hair, and makeup. Her blog is very professional and attractive. She keeps it updated. When I make comments, it’s usually compliments or questions.

http://lauravitalesblog.blogspot.com/- This blog is one of my favorites for cooking. I love being in the kitchen, and this blog not only has great recipes but links to video tutorials. On a cooking blog like this one, I usually comment on how a recipe turned out or ask questions about substitutions.

Thing #3

As a hopeful early childhood educator, I intend to use a blog to share creativity and ideas. I think it’d be helpful to give insight into what games, activities, or instructional methods were useful and which ones were not. I also intend to keep up a blog to keep track of my personal teaching journey. There will moments of inspiration that I will want to put into writing for both myself and other teachers. There will also be moments of heartache and discouragement that I believe is also worth putting into words as a way of growing into a better educator.

I think a blog will be a great tool in capturing my teaching journey. It will be a way of looking back on how far I will have come and the vast array of knowledge I will have gained. I would like to post my goals and intentions. I think putting those out in the public atmosphere works as a great motivator for overcoming the challenges and finishing strong.

Blogs are also a great tool for posting and saving links, videos, and photos of findings on the internet that are helpful resources.

And I shouldn’t forget that my students can find blogs just as useful as I do!

Thing #2

What previous experiences do you have with blogs, reading or writing?

This has been my first experience creating a blog, but I have read quite a few. Usually, I stumble upon them when I’ve conducted an internet search for something in particular like a DIY project or recipe. I’ve found them connected to sites like Youtube and Pinterest. I love reading blogs. They usually contain very useful or relatable information from my peers who are sharing their personal trials/errors and successes and stories.

     How did you decide on your posting name and the name of your blog?

I followed instructions and named my blog after myself and my blog post after whichever “thing” it pertains to.

    What was your experience in creating the blog? Was it hard for you or easy? Why?

Creating this blog was fun and quite easy. I just followed the given instructions. It was also nice to customize my blog using the provided templates.

     How does your avatar reflect your personality? Did you create an avatar that looks like your real self or someone totally different? Why?

I have created an avatar before when I was active on Yahoo messenger. I was a little disappointed by the limited options available on Doppleme, but it was still pretty fun. I tried my best to personalize my avatar to my likeness. My avatar is dressed casually as I like to do on most days. It has glasses. I don’t wear my glasses often as I prefer contact lenses, but I felt like my little avatar didn’t represent me without them.

Thing #1

The easiest lifelong learning habit for me is accepting responsibility for my own learning. This habit certainly did take my entire life to learn. As a small child and teenager, I wasn’t eager to learn the more difficult subjects, and I felt that it was only necessary to go through the motions of classwork and homework. Since I began my college career 9 years ago, I’ve developed the habit of taking control of what I can do with the knowledge offered to me. I’ve made the decision to grow from my academic experiences rather than just get them done.
 

The most difficult lifelong learning habit for me is to view problems as challenges. I have a tendency to see problems as obstacles that I may not be capable of overcoming. I have difficulty seeing them as experiences that are just less familiar than previous ones. I let stress and negativity take over me at moments when I’m unsure of how to solve the problem.
 

I was pleasantly surprised at how simple it was to set up my blog. I’ve read tons of them during my searches online but I’ve never considered creating my own. It was exciting to follow the steps.
 

I am excited to play with Web 2.0 tools and learn new ways to create, edit, and share information and ideas. Technology is not only useful for educators, but is a great interest and motivator to students. Most kids of times past did not associate learning with fun, but now the apps and virtual tools available make learning an activity as captivating as sports and other hobbies.