Last Thing

My top 3 favorite discoveries/ exercises were Thing 13-GoogleDocs, Thing 12-Google Translate, and Thing 7-Flickr. They were honestly my favorite exercises to do because they were so easy and pretty fun. I think this program has affected my lifelong learning goals by forcing me to learn new things about the programs that I use everyday. Which, honestly, wasn't anything that was too new to me. Something that surprised me was the fact that I actually knew about a lot of the things we used in the exercises, but some of them I hadn't actually used before. Nothing could really be done to improve the program's format or concept, because these are all things that future teachers should really know. Even some teachers that are in the field now don't know a lot of this stuff. I think this program will influence me as a teacher because there are so many resources out there to make amazing lesson plans, and a lot of great minds are out there that I could ask for help about anything. I plan on using this blog when I go into the teaching program because it has taught me to keep up with a lot of stuff and to write down everything you do, because you never know who could be out there reading around, looking for help.

Thing #23

The example I found for the 23 things was this blog.

I think I would use Creative Commons licensing in the future to publish works of my own. But because I would want others to be able to use it I would put that in my copyright.  Also, I would have to say that if someone does use it then they can't make any money off of it because I let them use it for free. And lastly, anyone who wants to use my work can edit it but would have to credit me as the original creator. This would be a great way to get ideas from other teachers and learn what they are doing in their class to help their students learn.

Thing #21

Want to Travel?

This is the link to the video I created in Animoto.

My experience with Animoto was nothing too exciting. I've used many different websites to create videos, but one that is not a website is iMovie. The program that comes with all new Mac computers and laptops. I find that you can do a lot more on that than on Animoto. But I guess I shouldn't expect too much since the website is free unless you want to make longer videos. But if you're just wanting to make 30 second videos then this is definitely the website you want to use.

Thing #22

The titles of my binders are Education 1, Education 2, and Education 3.

Education 1

I could use LiveBinders in the classroom to put together a variety of activities for the same subject. The binder that is embedded is a binder full of Math websites that I just looked up on Google. One of the websites in the binder is IXL.com and specifically the section for Kindergarten. You can set up lessons for counting, subtraction, fractions, time, measurement, money and so much more.

Thing #20

The YouTube video that I felt was worth posting is located here. There is absolutely NOTHING to dislike about YouTube (except for maybe the trolls). Other than that I LOVE YouTube. I am on it everyday, and I can honestly say I watch YouTube videos more than I watch regular TV. The people I subscribe to are more interesting than the people on TV. I chose the video linked above because, even though it seems like has really no relation to the topic at hand, it really does. (I didn't choose this video at random, I really like Kevin's videos and felt like this video should be shared in this class.) Kevin went to Kenya and he ended up creating a secondary school for the kids there. And he did it all through YouTube, just from people watching his videos. Education is truly important, and this is a great way to talk to kids about children in other countries and what they have compared to us. It's not to make the U.S. look better than other countries, it's to get the students interested in helping people who don't have as much as we do. YouTube can be used in the classroom for just about anything. If you want to show your students how to factor in math then just look it up on YouTube. I'm sure you can fid something.

Think #19

Visit TeacherPop

Of all of the websites listed, I am a member of GoodReads for my Reading 4050 class. But other than that I am not a memeber of any other online communities. Since I use IMDB pretty frequently it would be interesting to join that though. One online community that I would probably be interested in joining later would be the crafting website since I am interested in crafts, and when I am in the mood to do crafts, I am always looking for good crafting websites.

Thing #18

I think it is important for educators to know how social networking works because I believe you can really go places through social networking. You could become friends with someone who is opening a new school, and you could end up getting a better job than you have. But I feel like Facebook is very controversial. Many people like it but feel like it should be something that you use on a personal level, not in the classroom. I am one of those people. I don't think that you should be introducing you class to social media, depending on the age, because it can be very dangerous. I plan on teaching Kindergarten through 3rd grade, so I don't feel like making a Facebook page, even one for the classroom, is necessary at all. If you want to post pictures, you can easily post them on your classroom blog. But I guess using Facebook in the classroom is completely up to the teacher.

Think #17

This is actually a very interesting tool. It can be very useful in the classroom because it's a great way for students to keep up with the websites they have recently been to but can't quite remember the name. It is definitely an easy way to create bookmarks that can be accessed from anywhere, because I know I hate when I find a website at home and can't remember the link and I didn't write it down. This way I can just look up my link. This reminds me of the website we use in class everyday; Diigo.com You can bookmarks websites and pages on there too. Teachers can take advantage of this by bookmarking websites that they may find helpful to their classroom on here and they won't have the copy and paste the links on a word document or have to worry about putting it on a thumb drive.

Thing #16

I chose the iGoogle start up page. It appealed to me because, once again, I always use Google so I decided to look at something I already know a little about. But I highly doubt that I will make it my home page. I currently have apsu.edu as my home page and that makes it a lot easier for me to get to my school stuff. So if I were to change it to the iGoogle homepage, that would be one extra unnecessary step to get to D2L and Outlook (knowing that D2L hardly ever works the first time I try to go to it.) I will stick with APSU as my homepage.

The online calendars can be useful because you can write down everything that you have to do for the month and every time you get online you can see it there. The same goes for the to-do lists. Even though they were both a bit a work and kind of time consuming they can still help you keep track of everything that you need to do. These are the kind of tools that you can use at home and at school, and even though they are work, I would recommend them to others to use. Because as we all know, our lives can become hectic, so we all need some kind of organization.

Thing #15

Wiki is pretty cool, but it really reminds me of a classroom blog only everyone can edit it, not just comment on it. I guess I could use Wiki the same way I would use a classroom blog. You could send the link home to the parents so it they want to stay up to date with everything going on in the classroom then they can. Wiki could also be used in the classroom for assignments that require group work. Each group could post their projects on Wiki and and the end of the unit you can have them share with the class their findings, and then compare it to their classmates. I like the whole idea of Wiki, but just like the normal Wikipedia, ANYONE can edit the page and people can go in and change other people's work. So, it's ok but overall..not to interested in it.

Thing #14

I chose to use Bubbl.us simply because it was a lot more appealing to me in the pictures for our choices.  Although I did look into Gliffy.com too, I like Bubbl better. I chose to do a simple little brain storm about hoe to say hello in 6 different languages. Spanish, French, German, Irish, traditional Chinese and Arabic. The tools I chose were simple rounded rectangles because it is the default and I don't think there is anything else to choose from. I chose these because they were easy and it was very simple to read.

Thing #13

The picture below was drawn with Google Docs drawing tools. It's just a random picture of Pac-Man "walking" outside. Here is the original link.

Google Docs can be used collaboratively by one person creating a powerpoint, another writing up a paper in a word document, and someone else can create pictures for their project. The pictures can be put in the powerpoint or on the word document. I prefer using Google Docs simply because I already use Google everyday anyway. This way the students won't have to go through the hassle of trying to remember another website and trying to find it.

Thing #12

For this "thing" I decided to explore Google Alerts and Google Translate. For Google Alerts you just type in key words or phrases for what you want alerts on. For mine, I chose to look up the last place I lived, which was Bamberg, Germany. So, now I'm getting alerts once a day about what is going on in Bamberg. This is just something I did to keep up with some personal things and people who still live in Germany. I can also look at how much Bamberg has changed since I left in 2009. For Google Translate, it was really easy to explore because it is something I use everyday just for the fun of it. All you do is type in something in a language you know, and translate it into something you want to know. So, I wrote in English, "Hello, my name is Danielle Witter" and I then translated it to Korean. I may not be able to read it but it said, "안녕하세요, 제 이름은 다니엘 Witter입니다" The only thing I can recognize is my last name, but it was still pretty fun to mess around with. Some of the educational uses would be with Google Translate. If you were reading something in a book and it was in a different language, you could go to Google Translate to figure out what the book is trying to say.

Thing #11

I found that Technorati was the easiest to use. It gave a variety of ways to find different feeds There were feeds for women, technology, business, entertainment, lifestyle, sports, politics, videos and social media. You can also find the top 100 feeds, the most recent tags, and you can look at feeds of different people. There was also a Google Blog Search that I didn't really find useful unless you know what blog you are looking for. You could possibly search by using keywords, but then you might not know what blog to look for. The one that was more confusing was Topix, I didn't really know what to do on the site, and after looking at it for a few minutes it was still so overwhelming I couldn't figure it out. On Technorati I found that the feed on women was helpful, because it had a lot of interesting stuff on it. Other than that I just tried using the RSS reader, which was okay, but slightly confusing.

Thing #10

I don't like RSS and newsreaders at all. I can see how it could be beneficial to a teacher because they can easily look up something that they need to find, but I personally think it is complicated and time consuming. It may not take the teachers a long time to find what they are looking for, but for me, it would probably be a lot easier by just going to Google to look up what I need to find.

Thing #9

For my first 'creation' I made a little best friends smiley comic on Comic Strip Generator for my specific smiley comic, but the there is a list of all different kinds of smiley comic strips here. I just put  "To Infinity and Beyond", from Toy Story, as a little saying that friends could say to describe their friendship.

The next little creation would be a little more useful in the classroom. It's a quote that teaches children that what you think, you will become. If they want to be a doctor, then just that simple saying can push them to become what they want to be. I created that sign here, but if you don't want to use the sign you can go to Happy Face Generator to choose something else.

Thing #8

Domo Kun Puzzle

I created a Domo Kun puzzle by using the Big Huge Labs mashup and then just for fun, I used the Spell with Flickr mashup to write Domo's name. A few ways that the Flickr and the Flickr mashups are beneficial are the use of them in the classroom. With the puzzle mashup you could create your own puzzle of what you want your students to work on. Plus, it can go along with what they are learning in class. Posting photos online can be really fun, you would just have to be aware of who would be looking at your photos, so you have to watch what you are posting.

Thing #7

Harajuku Mini Backpack

Domo Kun

My photos, as you can probably tell, are very random. The first is a picture of a Harajuku Mini brand backpack that I just got and decided to take a picture of it because it is very colorful. The second is part of my Domo Kun collection. I have many more Domo related items, but these are the only ones that are on display.

My Flickr experience was relatively easy, because I have some experience in upload and sharing photos, but from a different website. I would probably use Flickr for the classroom and personal use. In the classroom I could post pictures of classroom activities that we are doing, and I could also use it to document any field trips we take as a class. And for personal use, I would use it to post pictures to share with my family and friends. Just like I stated before, I have used other photo sharing websites. I use to use Photobucket a lot in high school, but grew out of it. I don't really think that Photobucket and Flickr can even be compared. I like Flickr a lot more than Photobucket. And I don't really know how I feel about my pictures being out there for the public to see, it's a bit scary but I'm sure it will be okay. 

Thing #6

From the list of Web 2.0 Awards nominees I chose to write this post on the Amazon Web 2.0 Award nominee. There's nothing that I dislike about Amazon, because I use Amazon so frequently that I have fallen in love with it. Amazon is very useful because, just as the website said, it has great prices on books and other supplies that you may need for the classroom. Since you do have to pay for the items on Amazon, it wouldn't be very useful to students except to look up and compare prices on an item that they might want. Unless they have their parents permission, or have their parents buy them something off of Amazon, it would be used for browsing.

Thing #5

From the perspectives that I read, I found them very interesting. Since I had never even heard about Web 2.0 until I came into the class, it was very interesting and insightful to find out more about Web 2.0 It was even more interesting knowing/ finding out that a lot of the social networks and other websites I get on are Web 2.0 tools!

As a future teacher who has practically grown up around technology, I think Web 2.0 is a really important tool. Since it is a combination of home, school, and community, the learning never stops. What better way to keep kids in-tune with their education than to have a community and a home life that are there all the time to help?! Web 2.0 is going to be an amazing and essential tool for everyday life in the, probably near, future.

Thing #4

Commenting helps create a sense of community and interaction because when you comment on someone's blog it lets them know that someone is out there taking time out of their day to read what they have to say. And the same goes for when someone comments on your blog. If no one were to comment on your blog posts it would probably make you feel bad or feel like no one cares about what you have to say. Commenting can also help to create new relationships with people you may never even meet. How cool would it be to become friends with a blogger from Thailand! You may never actually meet, but it would be interesting to hear what someone from another country has to say about a topic you post.

Two other points from the readings that I found important were, Ask Questions and Interact With Comments Left. I think these are two good points because what better way to get people interacting and interested in your blog than to ask them questions. And because you've got them interested and leaving comments, it's a good idea to respond to their comments. Let them know that you appreciate what they have to say, and then you can go on from there. 

The five classmates' blogs that I selected to read were 1.) Alexis Wylie , 2.) Alana McLeroy, 3.) Kala Thomas, 4.) Wendy Young, and 5.) Ashley Saunders. And the two blogs of interest that I selected were 1.) Samantha and 2.) Dulce. My classmates' blogs that I have listed were selected based on which five were available when I finished writing Thing #3, but I enjoyed reading them all. As of right now, I have yet to comment on all of them because they all have such interesting blogs, and it's a bit overwhelming. 

The two blogs of interest that I chose were two that I read quite often. The first being Samantha (linked above), a 20 year old YouTuber from the DC, Maryland, Virginia (DMV) area. She makes videos about fashion and makeup on he main channel and on her vlog channel she has videos of her daily life. Her blog is really no different, except she talks about things that she wouldn't talk about on her YouTube channel, and she has the occasional blog sale to get rid of an excess makeup she may have.

In case you're interested checking out her channels
Main Channel: http://www.youtube.com/saaammage
Vlog Channel: http://www.youtube.com/sillysaaammage

The second blog of interest is Dulce (also linked above), she is a 26 year old YouTuber from California who is married with a little boy. On her YouTube channel she does videos on fashion, makeup, and also DIYs. Her blog is updated everyday with pictures of her outfits and places she went that day. Her photos are very helpful because they give me inspiration for outfits that I could possibly put together.

In case you're interested in checking out her channel
Main Channel: http://www.youtube.com/dulcecandy87 

Although I haven't commented on all the blogs I need to, I plan on writing comments about whether I agree or disagree with what they are saying, and if I think what they plan on doing is a good idea. I think you can get a lot of ideas and information from reading and commenting on other peoples blogs.

Thing #3

I think one of the main reasons I would use a blog in my future classroom is for class-related information. For example class schedules so that the parents know what we're doing, and calendars so that they know when we are doing particular activities. You can also use the calendar for important dates. I could also post the child's homework on the blog just in case they forget to write it down or or leave their study buddy at school.

A more interactive way I could use a blog in the classroom would be for discussion questions. Students have a lot to say and sometimes there isn't enough time to get to every child during class. With a blog the student can fully express their feelings on the the topic at hand. Another way to use a blog in the class would be for daily/weekly journal entries. The students could write about something as simple as how their day/week was. Or it could be a little more complex, and you could have the students make up a story. Just something that would get the students writing and thinking "out of the box". One way that is truly interactive is to have a class blog, and link with other classes. These classes could be down the hall, in a different county, state, or country. The students could get a glimpse of how other students around the world learn, and in turn it benefits them because they may learn something they didn't know.

Thing #2

My posting name is simply my name, there was no real thought into what the posting name would be. My blog name on the other hand is just the first letter of my first name and my last name. the numbers that follow correspond to the instructional technology class I am currently enrolled in.

My experience in creating the blog was relatively easy. Like I said in thing #1, I already have a personal blog, so I've known how to post blogs for quite some time now.

My avatar reflects my personality because I usually always wear my hair up, and I like to smile. My avatar looks as close to me and I could possibly make it. I wear glasses, I like the motorcycle bike style of the jacket my avatar is wearing, and the shoes show my favorite color, which is blue. I wanted my avatar to be a reflection of me. I don't want it to represent someone I'm not.

Thing #1

The lifelong learning habits that I personally found the easiest were habit 7 1/2 (Play!), habit 6 (Use technology to your advantage), habit 3 (View problems as challenges), and habit 5 (Create your own learning toolbox). I found habit 7 1/2 the easiest because it is really easy for me to play around and just have a good time, it just comes naturally. Habit 6 would probably tie with habit 7 1/2 because I love technology just as much as I love to have a good time. Learning new things about technology has always been interesting to me. So, if it interests me and it can benefit me I'll use it to my advantage. Habit 3 is the next easiest learning habit for me because anytime I have a problem it usually automatically turns into a challenge anyway.  The last habit that I found easy was habit 5. Knowing that I learn different that someone else pushes me to find my style of learning instead of trying to go off of the way someone else learns. It's good to find your learning style because then you'll always know what works for you, and you always benefit from it.

The lifelong learning habits that I found the hardest were habit 7 (Teach/mentor others), habit 4 (Have confidence in yourself as a competent, effective learner), habit 1 (Begin with the end in mind), and habit 2 (accept responsibility for your own learning). Habit 7 is the hardest for me because I have always had a hard time trying to teach someone something. If they already know the material and I am just helping them out with it then that's a lot easier for me. Habit 4 would have to be a tie with habit 7. It's hard for me to think of myself as being a competent, effective learner simply because of the anxiety I get when walking into a new learning situation. The last two habits are hard for me, but not as hard as 7 and 4. I say that habit 1 is hard for me because whenever I do something I don't like to think of the end product. I like doing things one step at a time, and being surprised by my end product. The final habit, habit 2, is slightly easier than the other three habits. I say this because I am the only one who can take responsibility for my education. Although, I can sometimes blame the fact that I'm not learning on others. Which in turn isn't right because I'm the only person who can stop myself from learning.

I actually don't know what I want to learn by playing with Web 2.0 tools. You would think someone who loves technology would know just about everything there is to know. But I know that's not true, so I'm excited to see what new things I learn. My experience in setting up my blog was nothing new, and it was really simple. This is only because I already have a personal blog set up and I messed with that for hours before I figured it out. Once I got into the swing of things it was relatively simple.