Is it the end, or only the beginning?

Wow, I can not believe all of these Things are finally completed! The process was definitely time consuming, to say the least, but the reward is great! I can honestly say I have learned quite a bit about Web 2.0 tools -in the beginning I didn't even know what those were. Looking back, some of my favorites include: Thing # 6 (Image Chef), Thing # 20 (YouTube), and Thing #21 (Animoto)...just among the few. I already have a ton of ideas of ways I can use these tools in my future classroom. All of the Web 2.0 tools are useful one way or another...it all depends on what you need. Some were difficult..but with a little time and patience, all of them can be mastered. I look forward to teaching my students about some of these tools -and passing along what I learned throughout this entire experience. I'm proud of myself for successfully creating

my first blog!

Thing #23

Creative Commons is a very important tool to be aware of. As teachers,we have to set examples for our students to follow. We have to give to credit wherever it is due. Anything that anybody posts on the web (information, pictures, etc.) must be used an credited properly. Creative Commons allows teacher to give rights (however they choose) on their material so others can access it. With Creative Commons, we decide what to share, what to restrict...everything about our work! It s important to relay this message and concept to our students -always give credit when it's due! 

Thing #22

http://www.livebinders.com/play/play?id=705081

Another helpful way for storing websites...Livebinders! Teachers can use these online binders to share websites that may be helpful for their students. This can aide in providing the students with research information on certain projects they may be assigned, or when learning new material altogether. The titles of my binders are Learning Strategies (which is the link above this paragraph), Anticipatory Sets, and Time Saving Tips. These are more geared for me (as the teacher) but when creating them for students, I would relate them to whatever lesson they are learning or as research to get them started on a particular project. A great tool for teachers and students -however you decide to use it.

Thing #21

A Summer in Greece

I loved the entire Animoto experience. Above is a link to my creation...last summer I visted Greece (I'm from Greece).The video includes some pictures I took while I was there. This would be great for students to do and share with the class -maybe even as an introduction of themselves at the beginning of the year? (Just a thought) But yes, I loved it and it will be a very fun tool to bring into the classroom -endless creativity can be applied.

Thing #20

I love YouTube! It is free and simple to use! I can easily spend many hours (unknowingly) on this site. YouTube can be great to bring into the classroom. Teachers just have to carefully monitor what they use (to ensure that the material is not inappropriate). I can think of many ways that teachers can use this as an effective tool in their classrooms -they find something interesting (that should also enhance what they are teaching) and simply sare it with the students. It can definitely make a lesson fun and exciting for the students.

I found a song on YouTube, the "Money Song" which I incorporated in my Unit Plan on Money for a first grade classroom. Just simple videos like this one, makes learning fun!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wq3tVrTFcKk

Thing #19

I feel like I am already a member of enough social sites...Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest...yes, that's enough! But I have to say, I joined Teacherpop and I think it is simply great! I love the concept behind Teacherpop. This social website is exclusively for APSU pre-service teachers (and for those who have graduated too). It makes you feel like you are a part of something important -and you are! You are able to share information in regards to teaching with others that are probably  the same position as you. Teachers can even chime in to provide some insight on educational obstacles and expectations. It is a great way to share ideas and experiences. You are able to communicate through comments -which makes it all super easy.The good thing about joining this community is that it is geared towards our futures as educators -we have our sites for "play and general socialization," but this will help us grow and learn -becoming great teachers. This commuity will be sticking around for quite awhile.

Thing #18

An understanding of social networking sites is important, believe it or not, to educators. Our society is becoming so advanced in technology. Students are on these sites on a day to day basis. So having even a basic knowledge of what they are all about, will keep teachers "in the know" about things. This can apply to cyber-bullying -which unfortunately is becoming too common and tragic in our society. Teachers may be able to recognize things that are occurring on these sites, and potentially stop them from escalating.

I am a user of both Facebook and Twitter for many years. I enjoy both sites very much. They help me keep in contact with friends and families and that is very important to me. They both have similar social features, but I would have to say I enjoy Facebook more. As for using them in the classroom, I don't think I will. I plan on teaching younger kids (a first grade classroom hopefully) and these social sites are too chaotic to introduce at such a young age. But for me...I love them!

Thing #17

Social bookmarking is a great tool. Sometimes we find ouselves browsing the web, and unexpectedly, we find some great resources and websites of interest...what do we do? We bookmark them! This allows us to store our findings for future references.

But we can go even further than that.

Delicious...allows you to save, store, and share the bookmarks you have discovered. With a Delicious account, you can access the bookmarks from anywhere -you don't even have to be on your computer! How great and convenient is that?! As future teachers, and even now, we will be doing an extensive amount of research -and this is a great way of organizing and storing it all.

Thing #16

The start page that I chose to explore was iGoogle. Since I already have a Gmail account, the additional Google tool was right there on the same page, ready for me to access and use. I don't see myself setting this as my homepage, but I will be using it on a regular basis. Overall, it's a great tool for organization.
 
The Calendar was great! I tend to be very forgetful and this allows me to put everything in clear sight -no surprises! I love having this calendar online for me to look at, but yes, I also have an additional one on my wall. The more the reminders, the better, right?!

The to-do-lists seemed to be a little more complicated. It's a great tool still, if technology works for you! But for me, I have to have my to-do-lists written down with paper and pen. There's something so exhilarating about crossing off a task!

If you're serious about organization, these tools are for you! I can see these tools being used by teachers and students, for work and school. They are simple for the most part, and extremely convenient! 

Thing #15

Making a Wiki post is very easy -anyone can do it! Anyone can add, delete, or alter the informaion on Wiki. It's a great tool for sharing information on just about any and every thing you could possibly imagine. There are flaws to it though -the information, sice anyone can post, may not always be 100% accurate. But this still, would be a great learning experience for the sudents. Teachers could research some really bad Wiki posts or even create some themselves, and then as an activity, have the class find the mistakes and make corrections to the Wiki posts. This will be a great activity to monitor and adjust for the younger students as well as the older students.

Thing # 14

I have to say, flow charts and mind maps are unfamiliar concepts to me. I have seen flow charts, but have never created either. So this "thing" was actually a great learning experience. I chose to look a Gliffy for flow charts & Bubble.us for mind maps. Gliffy was so easy! All I had to do was...choose some shapes, decide where I want to place them, and then, simply add the inormation. Very simple and easy to use...even for a first-timer! As for my diagram with Bubble.us, the process was simple too! They give you options to direct you in the right direction -it makes it very clear to choose, bubble options, for example, based on what works best for what you are trying to do. I thought both processes would be long, overly extensive, and just drawn-out! I was wrong! These tools were simple and very effective -great to introduce to students too!

Thing #13

Zoho is a great tool! You can use it anywhere...as long as you have internet connection. This reminded me very much of a word document, but there were extra features that were certainly worth exploring. I like how on the page there are three headings: Collaboration Applications, Business Applications, and Produivity Applications. This makes it easy to locate what you need to begin your work. The applications are extensive and extremely helpful. Also, it's great to use for group work, group projects, calendar & events, notebook, etc.

Google Docs is very closely related to Zoho and its' features. It would work great for students and collaborative work that they might have to complete. The students can use the tools to work on their part of the project, and then later on the group, as a whole can add it together. This would have to be done during class though, because we can not expect all of our students to have a source of internet connection at home. Other than that, it would be a great resource for students to explore and work on.

Both Zoho and Google Docs are great tools. They are very simiar to each other as well. They are great for group work -for students ad teachers (Zoho more for an older crowd or age grop and Google Docs for the younger children) Between the two, I prefer Google Docs. It's easier for me personally, to navigate through the page and its' features. It seems to be more age friendly for my students too (K-6).