Summary is Impossible

First, I'd like to thank Kelly Soliz for helping me through this experience. In the beginning, I believed I had made a mistake and honestly considered dropping the course. I felt ignorant and depressed with the first few lessons, and I don't remember feeling this way about past courses. Kelly pushed me to keep moving forward, and I thank her for that push.
After finally beginning to catch on to the "things", I can't even begin to explain all the "things" I've learned in this class. I signed up with the thought that I would learn a few tricks on the computer. I walked away overwhelmed by the amount of knowledge I've gained.
First, I never would have believed I would have my own blog. And I certainly would not have believed how easy it was to start my own blog. All the tools are at your fingertips. All the toys are there to choose from. All of it was amazing to me!
Linking sites of my own interest was so simple! Now, I know I can not only add sites to my blogs, but I can add feeders, pictures, slideshows, maps, youtube and teachertube videos, puzzles, other peoples' blogs, and more. It's never been easier to follow someone's site, without having to remember the URL to physically access it. Now it is so easy...and right on my blog.
Knowing we will have access to Google, in my opinion, will allow us to use many of the technological items we have been introduced to. Teachertube would bring collaborative techniques into the classroom. Flickr and Creative Commons would allow the students to possibly access pictures which were relevant to their research.
I can see a great deal of potential in using Google Docs. Teachers could collaborate on lesson plans, ideas for projects, things that have worked for them in the classroom, etc.
I love the Delicious bookmarks. I can now access my bookmarks no matter who's computer I am on or where I am. That's a great tool, in my opinion.
I will admit there are two things I've learned I am still not comfortable with, but I believe with time, I might change that. I still have difficulty with Podcasting and wiki.
I want everyone to know, in my opinion, 23things was, by far, the best course I have ever taken part in in my years of PFK classes. I have learned more valuable information than ever before, and believe I can take this information back to the classroom.

THING #23

I continued my explorations through Ning and found a few more goodies. One of the items was several word games, which would be a fun way to expand our students vocabulary. We're always looking for ways to broaden our knowledge, as lifelong learners, why not spend time broadening our vocabulary to share that new-found knowledge.
After a bit more "browsing", I ran across this item. I know it may sound a bit "elementary", but I really liked the idea. We, as teachers, very rarely receive an "atta-boy", so this actually caught my eye. I know of a few teachers I'd like to say: "Wow...you are doing such a great job. The kids are so lucky to have a teacher like you!!"
Finally, I must admit I had to force myself to stop browsing and finish this assignment, so my final step in Thing #23 was to add a slideshow and a badge from the 2.0 site on ning. And with this complete....I'm back to ning to look around a bit more!!!

THING #23

When I joined ning.com, I started scanning through the subjects, and was overwhelmed, to say the least. I did find a few things that caught my attention. One was a blog directed toward learning Spanish. When I started looking into it further, I found a really great tool for my personal use. It actually worked in a flashcard format. First, it revealed a sentence, then it verbally gave you the sentence in Spanish. I've looked at this format before, but it usually cost a lot of money for software, that you may or may not use. There have been so many times when I wanted to know "How" to say something in Spanish, and now I have a place to go ask and feel comfortable asking. This is a novel concept, and I feel this could be useful in learning more Spanish. With our demographics changing in Mesquite, this could be beneficial.
After looking at the aforementioned blog, I ventured into my personal interests and found a really interesting blog on photography. I actually posted, revealing I'm new to photography (can't really count the millions of family pics over the years) and would like to learn more about improving the quality of my photography. I am hoping to find information on how to look for the perfect shots, what equipment is the best, and just ideas in general.
I found a blog on a tool I have heard of before, and actually haven't thought about in a while, and wondered if Mesquite has access to these? Sounds like a way to get the students interested in competing to get answers correct. I know when we have board races, they really get excited on the competition. It would be like their very own Jeopardy game in the classroom, and being able to quickly share the right answer could be fun!

THING #20

We actually collaborated on a document in Google Doc. We decided to share some of our funniest "moments" with things students have said in class. At first it was difficult for me, because I went totally brain-dead when I tried to think of things. A lot of the things that made me laugh were during our "Abstinence" training, and a bit colorful for this venue. I know I've heard a million things my students have said, that have made me laugh, but recalling them for this project was difficult. Regardless of the actually content of our Google Doc, I think it has endless possibilities.
Many times in ICT we discuss different ideas of how to make our lessons more beneficial to the students. I can see this as a "brain storming" forum to share thoughts within out department. It could cover anything from projects we might be considering, to grading projects. I can also see this as a collaborative effort, within the entire school. This could be the tool needed to discuss improvements in curriculum or campus improvements. As I stated, the possibilities are endless!!
On a personal note, I believe this tool would be useful in compiling some of my writings. I often come up with thoughts, and don't write them down. Later, I try to remember what I was thinking, and can't remember a thing. (This is probably an age thing, but hey...its better than the alternative.) This could be useful in allowing me to write down the thoughts, and then return at a later time to decide what I will do with them.

THING #17

I'm not sure I understand everything about the podcasts, because most of the things I looked at, struck me as trying to read a foreign language. I did stumble on to one that I found interesting. It actually discussed computer in more "layman's" terms for those like me that don't understand all the terminology yet. This is the site I found, and then it divided into other specific information at this site.
I listened to one that talked about using technology in the classroom. It discussed Power Point and Keynote. Another one of the episode was explaining how to incorporate wiki into the classroom instruction.
I really like the podcasts, and I can see them as beneficial tools in the classroom. Being able to listen to the information is helpful, but on some of the podcasts it appears you can interact with the podcasts.

THING #18

I started my search looking for videos on goal setting. Teachertube had limited videos to share, but I did find one that was interesting. Many of my students experience confusion when you ask the difference between short and long term goals. Others aren't quite sure what you mean by goals. This video explains the terminology and what they need to think about when setting goals.

I would love to be a talented photographer. In my mind's eye, I can see the shot, but I just don't have the knowledge to use it the way it would photograph best. I've never taken a class. Blame it on procrastination, putting kids through college, or just plain "no time", but I do want to get into photography in the near future. Imagine the things we see, and in a moment they're gone, never to be seen again. Then imagine capturing that moment on film. What an awesome thing to do.
I found a "beginners" guide to photography and decided the best play to learn is start from the beginning.









As I scanned through utube, I ran across another issue that is inconceivable to me as an educator, a mom, a human being. That issue is school violence. There are many history-making events I have witnessed in my life, and during most of them, I can tell you where I was and what I was doing at the time. When President Kennedy was shot, I was standing on the street watching the end of his car as he passed me, and the others, waiting to get a glimpse of him. I was a child at the time, but I still know the feeling that washed over me when he was shot within moments of me seeing him and the First Lady wave in my direction.
I remember sitting in a team meeting at school when I witnessed the Twin Towers hit on 9/11. I remember my emotions go from "what a tragic accident" to "anger" and then to "deep sadness".
I remember watching CNN when Columbine was invaded. I remember feeling shock, sadness, and disbelief.
Every one of these things had an impact on me, but the latter of the three scares me to death. The violence in schools today was unheard of when I attended school, and I wish, for once, history would revert to that time period, at least in reference to school violence.

I Love Slideshows!!

About Facebook

Okay, I just want to say....this is STRANGE!!!
I signed on to facebook for this course, and all of a sudden I'm getting "request to add" from all these people. Don't get me wrong, because this is really cool, but I added a friend of my son's, I haven't seen in ten years, tonight. And there are so many of the teachers at my school that have facebook, and I never even realized it.
After opening a facebook page, I'm finding the word spreads very quickly (But most of the adds are my children's friends from past and present). I've even added my son's ex-girlfriends. Tell me that's not a bit strange!! I've gone from 0 to 17 friends in such a short time. This is just a bit overwhelming. I have had to request tutoring from my daughter on how to answer the posts I'm receiving on my "wall".
I can see how it could become addictive for the younger generation, but I still feel it is designed for the younger generation. Why didn't they have this when I was in college????

Are we suppose to link our facebook here?

Something to think about

The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.

William A. Ward
1921-,
more famous quotes

THING #22

Okay, I'm getting ahead of the lessons. I'm sure I'll have to edit this in the future, but I just have to tell you about my Facebook experience!!!

Well, I did it. I swore to my daughter, about 6 years ago I would NEVER have a Facebook or My Space, and now I do. My daughter has shared hers with me numerous times...."look at this, Mom".... "Do you remember so-and-so.....look at them now!"....."Guess who is engaged, Mom!!".
And I can honestly say, there were times when I was almost asleep for the night that she would wake me to show me something on her Facebook or MySpace. Quite often it was entertaining to look at her book and "ohhhh" and "ahhhhh". But then....there was that night when she wanted me to look at her pictures. It was my first introduction to the word "keg stand". It was my "proudest" moment to see my innocent, young daughter doing a keg stand at a fraternity party.
Okay, maybe Facebook, MySpace, and moi don't have a completely positive past, but I must admit, Facebook is interesting.
I opened an account and posted a few pictures. Of course, when it said you could actually post a picture on your profile, I started looking for one. I finally found one I semi-liked that was only 5-6 years old. I justified my choice with the fact that anyone would read my FaceBook probably already KNOWS what I look like, so it didn't matter what picture I put in the profile.
So...now that I have the initial experience, I guess I'll try MySpace too!!!

THING #19

Voicethread was an interesting tool for me. It allowed the students to demonstrate their knowledge in a unique way, other than projects, tests, etc. The Venn Diagram on the heart was very informative and I can see this helping the students remember the parts and workings of the heart. The Measuring Volume of Weird Objects would be helpful in the science lab. It actually would allow the students to explain how to measure and show a visual demonstration.

I found an interesting voicethread about College Exploration that spurred a few ideas for using it in my classroom. The information in this voicethread was really good, but it would probably need to be fine-tuned to fit my particular classroom. During the later part of the year, we investigate information about colleges. We look at requirements, admittance, and the colleges themselves. This might be just the ticket to have the students tell the information they obtained through their investigations.
I am curious about privacy though. I know we're not allowed to show pictures of the students on the internet without permission from parents, so would voicethread require permission too?

THING #7C

Motivation is a very important if you wish the students to "grasp" the ideas you are presenting. Often times we look over a classroom of young people and "assume" they are hearing everything we are sharing with them. Its difficult for a teacher, that wants to make a difference, to sometimes realize there are students that don't really care what you are attempting to share. That's one of the hardest things I learned when I first started teaching.
Now that I am a "seasoned" teacher....its STILL one of the hardest things I'm learning.
While scanning my EduBlog Insights, I came across a blog entitled Relection Thing-Aloud 1 by Anne Davis, which I found relevant. The last paragraph Ms. Davis wrote made me stop and think:

"We need to encourage our students to tell the story of what they are learning - not just a regurgitation of the facts but one where they explore how they might use these facts or share how they have applied those learning of facts to something that is going on in their lives. Students need help putting their experiences into words."

Blogging would be a great way for students to do just that....EXPLORE!!!!

THING #21

I love the igoogle.com!!! I've added things of interest/importance to me, found gadgets to add, and made my new homepage something that it just mine. I would like to see more themes to choose from, but the rest is really good! On my page, I added places to see, yahoogle, gmail, facts, blackjack, sudoku puzzles, simple recipes, CNN, DallasNews, Weather, Youtube, Google Map Search, Music I Like, and Bonehead of the day awards.
That's only a few of the choices your given. Now, at the click of a button, I can go to my favorite sites, directly from my homepage. How cool is that?
I am also playing with the Picasa web albums. I'm a bit of a fanatic on pictures of my children, as you've learned by viewing my blog. I downloaded pictures last night until my frustration with the slow downloads won, but I can't attribute that to picasa, since it could have been my server.
Google earth isn't a new site to me, but I still find it interesting to "google" addresses for fun. My daughter moved to Virginia in August, and being reminded of google earth, I put in her address. At least now I know where she lives. Very cool tool!!

THING #16

Interesting site. I actually found some discussions on books I've recently read and scanned through peoples' posting. It was interesting to see the different opinions they had on the books. I did try to add books to my account, but somehow missed the option to tag them, so I'm going back to look around a bit more. The site seems to have an endless amount of information and numerous ways to search for information you are seeking. I was a bit confused when I added my books and received advertisements from bookstores.
I believe this site could be beneficial when you need information on a subject matter, author, or title of book. Its like a traveling library the kids could access to attain all types of information.

THING #15

This was an interesting assignment, because I worked on it about an hour and thought I'd tagged a lot of sites, only to find that I wasn't tagging anything. With that problem corrected, I started tagging sites to help me in April when the students ask the names of colleges located in Texas, or the United States, or even the world. We stress the importance of becoming a lifelong learner in our class, but often find the students don't know a great deal about applying for college, attending college, choosing a major, or what University/College/Jr. College is available. While looking in delicious I found a list of colleges that I can now share with my students.
This if really a unique site and I can see the usefulness not only regarding higher education, but social issues, careers, and other subjects we discuss/research in ICT.

THING 7B

I suppose I'm one of those people that just naturally becomes overwhelmed when numerous options are presented. I was talking to Kelly(ABC's) today, and I was explaining how much easier it was when she explained to me the "Things". I read each one, then I get flustered, and then I throw up my hands and quit when something I "thought" I understood just won't work!! Then there's Kelly....she seems to smooth things over and explains in layman's terms (rather than all the tech talk), and I find I'm more comfortable with the assignment. THANK YOU KELLY!!!!
Okay, so I understand I'm to share a reader I have been keeping up with. Actually, there is a particular one I read daily, and I even add my comments to the blog on occasion. So......let's discuss the new "character" of Steve Blow's column with the Dallas Morning News. He will occasionally take on a new personification of "Mr. Frugal".
Well, anyone that knows Steve (especially in Lori's eyes) KNOWS Steve is extremely "frugal". I think this will be a great new adventure for Steve and look forward to keeping track of Mr. Frugal.

THING #14 AGAIN

One of the high points in ICT is our time discussing "higher education". The students are not only able to access entrance requirements, but also "banter" about football teams. This is the time we talk about the importance of academia in our future, and plant the seed of future goals. I can see several uses with our new tools during this time

Thing #14 Continued

And I just love wordle. I actually posted one when I first started exploring different tools, but I decided to do another one. One of the nice things about this tool is you can use any theme to compose one. Just think of something that you are interested in and start typing all the words you can associate with the subject.
You just have to try this for yourself.

Thing #14

I looked through a few of the choices we had and found a few that I enjoyed playing with. One was jigzone which allowed me to make a puzzle from a photograph. I think the kids would have a lot of fun with this. They could use not only pictures, but educational maps, historical figures, etc.

Thing #13 Continued

There are so many sites to improve our classroom knowledge of technology, it is amazing. From fun toys to help improve the students comfort with technology, to helpful additions to make the lessons we share more memorable. After all, the whole purpose of teaching is to help each one of our students reach their potential and become "stars", in their own rights. I found the above banner that reflects the goal we should have for all students.

THING #13

This is my attempt at using some of the Flickr toys. I put a picture of one of my favorite subject matters on a tradingcard.

It was really very easy. I just downloaded a picture, picked a few icons that were offered on the site and filled in the "Title" on the card and a brief write up on what I wanted to say on it. I can see the students really having fun with this, but as Kelly said on her blog....you have to have an e-mail.

THING #12A

This slideshow is one of my many proud moments attributed to my kids. Taira is the "baby" of three and the latest to graduate from college. She earned her degree in Elementary Education from UNT last May. The two young men you see in several of the pictures are my other two children. The oldest graduated from University of Texas in Austin and the youngest son (middle child) has just returned to academia and is currently taking college courses.
I really enjoyed making this slide show, and can see many uses for it in the future. I made another slide show through the commons, under flicker, but I can't seem to make it work. I'm still trying! It, actually, was one I could use during our educational goals in ICT. Hopefully, I'll add it later.

THING #12

THING #11

This was an interesting exercise.  I could have spent hours going through the photos and I had a difficult time deciding on my "theme".  I bounced between anorexia and hurricanes, which are two of the topics we do a project on for "social issues", and Universities, which we learn about while setting our future goals.  Then I started thinking about the knowledge I've gained from "23 things" and how I could work them into my lesson plans. I found myself confused on which to choose.  We do a great deal of  "goal setting" and "budgeting" type projects that might give us the option to use computer generated knowledge. 

I decided on the computer knowledge. The picture I chose by aranarth shows a familiar vision. So much is done with these small electronics, since they moved from "The Jetsons" props of the future, to a common household furnishing. 

Since beginning "23things", I find myself looking for all the toys you can use on the computer and I tend to forget about the task at hand.  Kelly has actually shown me even more sites to investigate.  It's like being the only kid in a giant candy store!!