As I started this course, I was a little concerned that it was going to be too simple for me. Also, my district just cannot get its act together. That interactive white board that has been on the wall of my room since March? Still inoperable. The version of Microsoft Office on the computer in my room. Maybe '98? Anything I type on my laptop I must save as an RTF or it won't open at school.
I have, however, learned a number of wonderful things. My favorite is the tip about saving Delicious tags. Just that tidbit alone was well worth taking this class. My other favorite bit was the lesson on podcasts. I hadn't yet waded into that pool of information delivery, but I absolutely will use the vocabulary podcast I found. All I need is my iPod and speakers. Not even my district can screw those things up.
I still see technology through the lens of my economically and vision deprived district. What I do see, as I stand on the cusp on what will be a daunting school year, is that I will have to share my own knowledge and continue to push for change. I will urge others to take this worthwhile class.
I just re-read Steve Hargadon's article and I still find it entirely too full of Kool-Aid consumption. It is impossible to deny the importance Web 2.0 has played in movements like the Arab Spring, it is also impossible to overstate the importance of face-to-face contact, or the mostly despicable comments found at the end of any article on any newspaper site. One glance at those reveals that there are a lot of "pro-sumers' out there who are interested only in their own ignorance and hatred and sharing that with the world.
How will I continue to learn about Web 2.0? I will follow the trends and ask the kids :)
Showing posts with label 23 things. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 23 things. Show all posts
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Things 21 and 22
Of the Wikis that I browsed, my favorite was Book Trailers for Readers. That gave me an idea for an end of the year project for my combined English 12/Honors English 12 class. I think they'll be making book trailers.
Anyway, the only obstacle that I have to overcome is the time crunch issue. I've mentioned before that I have five preps this year and, to be honest, I'm already feeling stressed as I try to start lesson plans. I don't think PB works is blocked because another teacher has a wiki.
I had wanted to start a wiki for a while, so I did so earlier in the summer, long before I realized that I would need to do so for this course. My wiki, Books Are Good is obviously still under construction. The big difference between it and a blog is that I can train kids how to upload material to this and they can work collaboratively on projects using a wiki. That's still the part with which I need to become familiar, but I have people who can help me.
A blog for a student is still more appropriate for his/her own thoughts. I would hate for a wiki discussion board to become a spot for competitive students or malcontents to try and mar someone else's reputation or work. I can see that happening. As long as blogspot is blocked, I might keep the Yahoo! group going for my AP class.
Anyway, the only obstacle that I have to overcome is the time crunch issue. I've mentioned before that I have five preps this year and, to be honest, I'm already feeling stressed as I try to start lesson plans. I don't think PB works is blocked because another teacher has a wiki.
I had wanted to start a wiki for a while, so I did so earlier in the summer, long before I realized that I would need to do so for this course. My wiki, Books Are Good is obviously still under construction. The big difference between it and a blog is that I can train kids how to upload material to this and they can work collaboratively on projects using a wiki. That's still the part with which I need to become familiar, but I have people who can help me.
A blog for a student is still more appropriate for his/her own thoughts. I would hate for a wiki discussion board to become a spot for competitive students or malcontents to try and mar someone else's reputation or work. I can see that happening. As long as blogspot is blocked, I might keep the Yahoo! group going for my AP class.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Thing 20
I love the idea of using podcasts in class. I think it will connect with the kids because for many of them, information from a podcast is "different" from a boring old lecture. I'll be the cool kid on the block just for using them occasionally.
I went to EPN and searched for Language Arts podcasts. I mentioned in my last post that I wanted to find a podcast about writing. I didn't find one, but I did find one prefect vocabulary in my AP Literature class.
Then I visited Podcast Alley only to learn that the site was doing some maintenance work and thus could not open any podcasts. Sigh.
Okay, on to iTunes. Good news - Just Vocabulary is available through iTunes, so it is my first subscription. Then I checked out Grammar Girl. I was immediately disappointed that there was an ad in the very beginning. Once I got over that, the content was really quite informative. So I subscribed to this one, too.
I found one writing podcast and it was really addressing some advanced issues. I might check out more of its shows, but right now, it's a pass.
I didn't really prefer one search venue over the other. I have to go back and try Podcast Alley. All I know is that I'm looking forward to trying some of these in my classroom.
I went to EPN and searched for Language Arts podcasts. I mentioned in my last post that I wanted to find a podcast about writing. I didn't find one, but I did find one prefect vocabulary in my AP Literature class.
Then I visited Podcast Alley only to learn that the site was doing some maintenance work and thus could not open any podcasts. Sigh.
Okay, on to iTunes. Good news - Just Vocabulary is available through iTunes, so it is my first subscription. Then I checked out Grammar Girl. I was immediately disappointed that there was an ad in the very beginning. Once I got over that, the content was really quite informative. So I subscribed to this one, too.
I found one writing podcast and it was really addressing some advanced issues. I might check out more of its shows, but right now, it's a pass.
I didn't really prefer one search venue over the other. I have to go back and try Podcast Alley. All I know is that I'm looking forward to trying some of these in my classroom.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Thing 19
Last year, I asked our district tech department about podcasts. I had listened to a couple and thought that it would be cool and relevant if my students could create their own podcasts. I am sorry to say that I received several blank stares. I quietly excused myself, backed out of the room, and returned to my room - where I laid my head on my desk and silently wept for not having thrown caution to the wind and become a rock n'roll photographer, salary and sleep deprivation be damned.
For some reason, I was unable to watch either of the RESA podcasts on my laptop (told myself to watch them at the ex's later in the week), so I went directly to the third link.
The first podcast I watched was the Sesame Street on about language acquisition. I suppose because as the mom on a mildly autistic mom, repetitive language is a daily struggle. He has grown up with two teachers, so his receptive language is pretty impressive, but he struggles with his expressive language, though he has come a long way in the past year.
Additionally, a large number of my students were not born in this country and thus come from an English as Second Language background. Many of them do not speak English at home and, thanks to satellite television, only hear it at school. I've struggled for a few years with an effective way to handle vocabulary. I guess I just have to surround my high school students with vocabulary in the same manner I did my adopted-from-China-didn't-know-he-was autistic son. Don't talk down to them, be diligent about my word wall, and keep reading the research.
The second one I watched was for pure pleasure because I needed a Glenn Tilbrook fix. I can't really talk about it publicly, but I have secret plans to make him mine ;)
The final one I found was a series of four about the History of Photography. This is the great passion of my life and I'm always looking to know more about it. Of course, I was drawn in to it due to the iconic Dorothea Lange "Migrant Mother" photograph.
I still want my students to make a podcast and it would be great to find some podcasts about the craft of writing and maybe I can share those with my students. I'll save that search for thing 20.
For some reason, I was unable to watch either of the RESA podcasts on my laptop (told myself to watch them at the ex's later in the week), so I went directly to the third link.
The first podcast I watched was the Sesame Street on about language acquisition. I suppose because as the mom on a mildly autistic mom, repetitive language is a daily struggle. He has grown up with two teachers, so his receptive language is pretty impressive, but he struggles with his expressive language, though he has come a long way in the past year.
Additionally, a large number of my students were not born in this country and thus come from an English as Second Language background. Many of them do not speak English at home and, thanks to satellite television, only hear it at school. I've struggled for a few years with an effective way to handle vocabulary. I guess I just have to surround my high school students with vocabulary in the same manner I did my adopted-from-China-didn't-know-he-was autistic son. Don't talk down to them, be diligent about my word wall, and keep reading the research.
The second one I watched was for pure pleasure because I needed a Glenn Tilbrook fix. I can't really talk about it publicly, but I have secret plans to make him mine ;)
The final one I found was a series of four about the History of Photography. This is the great passion of my life and I'm always looking to know more about it. Of course, I was drawn in to it due to the iconic Dorothea Lange "Migrant Mother" photograph.
I still want my students to make a podcast and it would be great to find some podcasts about the craft of writing and maybe I can share those with my students. I'll save that search for thing 20.
Friday, August 19, 2011
Thing 18
Yet another useful site that can be used to eliminate student excuses. slideshare is a site where one can upload a PowerPoint presentation and share it publicly. No more, "I forgot my flash drive" or "it won't open on your computer." If this site isn't blocked and I can open it on my laptop, the presentation is saved. It also gives me the opportunity to go back and look at a presentation for things I might have missed, for example spelling mistakes.
I'm not sure how I would use this outside of the classroom. I'm not in a position where I make presentations - ever. I suppose if I found myself in a situation where I needed to make a presentation, uploading it to this site would be a back-up measure. I certainly could do research on the site. Without the speaker, the presentation loses a little something.
Because the subject of autism is near and dear to my heart, I searched for a presentation about it. I found one called "Working with Autistic Spectrum Disorder children in the classroom." I liked it because it offered me gentle reminders on how to work with my son when the frustration level rises. Plus, let's face it, autistic kids are in our classrooms, and they have a right to be there. There are some estimates that show that 1 out of every 100 children are on the spectrum. That number is even higher for boys. As teachers, we need to be ready for the challenges that will arise when these kids, even mild like my son, are mainstreamed into our classrooms. Here's the presentation.
Dealing With Autism Presentation
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I'm not sure how I would use this outside of the classroom. I'm not in a position where I make presentations - ever. I suppose if I found myself in a situation where I needed to make a presentation, uploading it to this site would be a back-up measure. I certainly could do research on the site. Without the speaker, the presentation loses a little something.
Because the subject of autism is near and dear to my heart, I searched for a presentation about it. I found one called "Working with Autistic Spectrum Disorder children in the classroom." I liked it because it offered me gentle reminders on how to work with my son when the frustration level rises. Plus, let's face it, autistic kids are in our classrooms, and they have a right to be there. There are some estimates that show that 1 out of every 100 children are on the spectrum. That number is even higher for boys. As teachers, we need to be ready for the challenges that will arise when these kids, even mild like my son, are mainstreamed into our classrooms. Here's the presentation.
Dealing With Autism Presentation
View more presentations from guestf46b4
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Thing 17
Okay, I loved this assignment! Aside from Open Office, I didn't really realize that there were so many on-line productivity tools - and without downloading them.
For my students, I really like Zoho Show. Like Google Docs and group assignments, this site eliminates just one more excuse for not doing an assignment. As long as this site isn't blocked at school, a student with a computer at home cannot tell me that he/she doesn't have PowerPoint, so a poster board will have to do. I have to play with it more as I didn't make an account. I need to know if presentations can be made public so others can look at them, making grading a little easier.
I think I will more than likely sign up for Remember the Milk. For one thing, the cow logo is too cute. More importantly, I can get reminders in email and on Twitter. This, in addition to my phone, should be tremendously helpful.
I made an account at LibraryThing. This site could become my new obsession. At the moment, I can't think of a relevant school application, but personally, the sky is the limit. I like the idea of connecting with other readers who are avid enough to register at a site like this. I will have to be careful with my time.
For my students, I really like Zoho Show. Like Google Docs and group assignments, this site eliminates just one more excuse for not doing an assignment. As long as this site isn't blocked at school, a student with a computer at home cannot tell me that he/she doesn't have PowerPoint, so a poster board will have to do. I have to play with it more as I didn't make an account. I need to know if presentations can be made public so others can look at them, making grading a little easier.
I think I will more than likely sign up for Remember the Milk. For one thing, the cow logo is too cute. More importantly, I can get reminders in email and on Twitter. This, in addition to my phone, should be tremendously helpful.
I made an account at LibraryThing. This site could become my new obsession. At the moment, I can't think of a relevant school application, but personally, the sky is the limit. I like the idea of connecting with other readers who are avid enough to register at a site like this. I will have to be careful with my time.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Thing 16
I was lucky enough to be involved with the National Writing Project at Eastern Michigan last summer. One of the other teachers involved did a presentation on how she used Google Docs with her students. Our whole cohort went on to use it to compose our response letters for all the presentations. Since then, I've incorporated Google Docs in a few ways.
Aside from my teaching duties, I am also the Student Council adviser. In the past year, the Student Council Executive Board has started saving important documents and forms in Google Docs. This means that more eyes can proofread and fix right away (saving paper in these cash-strapped days) and eliminating the need for a floating flash drive.
On a personal level, I used it mainly for two reason. The first is for a novel that I wrote. I have the complete manuscript saved there until some publisher sees just how brilliant it is. The other reason occurred after my dad passed away in January. He had a gazillion recipes typed up and my mother wanted me to delete all of them. Before I did so, I saved many of them to Google Docs, I guess as a reminder of my dad.
The biggest issue is, as always, overcoming my school district's policies. Currently, students are prohibited from accessing their email at school. While part of me understands the policy, it is hopelessly out of touch with how students actually work. I can, however, urge them to use Google Docs when faced with a group assignment. Inevitably, someone is absent and THAT person has all of the work. If everything is save in Google Docs, no need to worry.
With colleagues, I can see working on common assessments or assignments using Google Docs. Again, it makes proofreading easier and it spreads the typing load around as everyone can alter the document and leave notes about about was done.
Aside from my teaching duties, I am also the Student Council adviser. In the past year, the Student Council Executive Board has started saving important documents and forms in Google Docs. This means that more eyes can proofread and fix right away (saving paper in these cash-strapped days) and eliminating the need for a floating flash drive.
On a personal level, I used it mainly for two reason. The first is for a novel that I wrote. I have the complete manuscript saved there until some publisher sees just how brilliant it is. The other reason occurred after my dad passed away in January. He had a gazillion recipes typed up and my mother wanted me to delete all of them. Before I did so, I saved many of them to Google Docs, I guess as a reminder of my dad.
The biggest issue is, as always, overcoming my school district's policies. Currently, students are prohibited from accessing their email at school. While part of me understands the policy, it is hopelessly out of touch with how students actually work. I can, however, urge them to use Google Docs when faced with a group assignment. Inevitably, someone is absent and THAT person has all of the work. If everything is save in Google Docs, no need to worry.
With colleagues, I can see working on common assessments or assignments using Google Docs. Again, it makes proofreading easier and it spreads the typing load around as everyone can alter the document and leave notes about about was done.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Thing 15
I think that this has been (after the photograph assignments) my favorite. All of the other assignments didn't really present me with new information. This one was a whole bunch of new.
As I feared when I subscribed to some of those sites, I had not had time to read most of them. But, give me a break, I just moved out of my old house into my own place. It's been a busy and emotional few weeks. Thus, I was pretty glad to learn of the manage subscriptions link. I immediately pared down my subscriptions.
Even better was the knowledge that I could subscribe to Delicious TAGS! I am not exaggerating when I say that this knowledge will have an immediate positive impact on my life. The first two subscriptions were to a"writing lesson plans" tag and an "American literature." Now, I just have to read through them and save the ones I like myself.
Google reader will now become a habit.
As I feared when I subscribed to some of those sites, I had not had time to read most of them. But, give me a break, I just moved out of my old house into my own place. It's been a busy and emotional few weeks. Thus, I was pretty glad to learn of the manage subscriptions link. I immediately pared down my subscriptions.
Even better was the knowledge that I could subscribe to Delicious TAGS! I am not exaggerating when I say that this knowledge will have an immediate positive impact on my life. The first two subscriptions were to a"writing lesson plans" tag and an "American literature." Now, I just have to read through them and save the ones I like myself.
Google reader will now become a habit.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Thing 14
As I mentioned in the previous post, I have had a Delicious account for a couple of years now. What prompted that move was a dying computer. I wanted desperately to save my bookmarks and somewhere, probably NPR, I had heard about Delicious, so I checked it out and it saved me many tears.
My username is TeacherToni (very original - don't you think?). I think I can use Delicious in my teaching by sharing my links with my students on my newly formed Wiki. Of course, I might need to arrange them so that only my school related links are public. Currently, all of my links are public only because I hadn't thought to make any of them private. It's not as if I have salacious sites saved to my Delicious account.
Does it enhance my productivity? I think so, it cuts down on my Google time because I've saved so many useful sites. Again, unlike clutter in my living room, my virtual clutter is out-of-control. I don't see it, so I think about it less. Just another job on the neverending to do list.
My username is TeacherToni (very original - don't you think?). I think I can use Delicious in my teaching by sharing my links with my students on my newly formed Wiki. Of course, I might need to arrange them so that only my school related links are public. Currently, all of my links are public only because I hadn't thought to make any of them private. It's not as if I have salacious sites saved to my Delicious account.
Does it enhance my productivity? I think so, it cuts down on my Google time because I've saved so many useful sites. Again, unlike clutter in my living room, my virtual clutter is out-of-control. I don't see it, so I think about it less. Just another job on the neverending to do list.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Thing 13
I guess that I don't have too many thoughts about tagging, except that I need to do a better job of it. I also guess that how one tags an item depends greatly on how that item will be used. If it's basically for myself, any old way (or ways) will work. On the other hand, if I'm tagging for other people, I have to keep audience (like a good writer) in mind. What will be the most useful way to help direct people to what I hope they find? I think that I mildly lamented that I needed to do a better job tagging my blog entries if I want to generate more traffic.
I have a Delicious account and I know that I need to get in there and better organize my bookmarks. I also need to get into my Flickr account and organize those, too. That way, If I want to connect with other like minded people (let's say Squeeze fans on Flickr) they can more easily find my pictures that relate to our common interests. Perhaps I can do some of that tonight.
I have a Delicious account and I know that I need to get in there and better organize my bookmarks. I also need to get into my Flickr account and organize those, too. That way, If I want to connect with other like minded people (let's say Squeeze fans on Flickr) they can more easily find my pictures that relate to our common interests. Perhaps I can do some of that tonight.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Thing 12
My blog already had a couple of widgets (or gadgets as blogspot calls them). Earlier this spring I added the visit counter and when I started the blog I immediately added a Picasso of the Day and a blog roll. I don't like to clutter my blog up with too many bells and whistles. I don't want to distract from the writing.
The second I saw the list of possible widgets, I knew exactly which one I would add - the Clustrmap. I just love knowing who is reading my blog, even if people are not leaving comments. I gives me a sense of a real audience.
I do believe that real relationships can be formed on-line. On Facebook, I have a "friend" from Australia, whom I met through someone I met once at a concert in Cleveland. All three of us love the same band. All three of us are English majors. I have met up with the person in Cleveland and will continue to do so. The woman in Australia? I don't know that I'll ever meet her face to face, but we interact and enjoy each others on-line personalities, which in my case is very much like my real life personality.
Why do students like sites like Facebook? It feeds their social animal on many different levels. First of all, everyone gets to see how popular you is with how many friends you have. Secondly, you might have a random thought that you post as your status. Someone else might do something as simple as "like" it and you get a little gratification that someone out there is paying attention. Even I get that feeling of I'm not alone and someone is "listening."
The second I saw the list of possible widgets, I knew exactly which one I would add - the Clustrmap. I just love knowing who is reading my blog, even if people are not leaving comments. I gives me a sense of a real audience.
I do believe that real relationships can be formed on-line. On Facebook, I have a "friend" from Australia, whom I met through someone I met once at a concert in Cleveland. All three of us love the same band. All three of us are English majors. I have met up with the person in Cleveland and will continue to do so. The woman in Australia? I don't know that I'll ever meet her face to face, but we interact and enjoy each others on-line personalities, which in my case is very much like my real life personality.
Why do students like sites like Facebook? It feeds their social animal on many different levels. First of all, everyone gets to see how popular you is with how many friends you have. Secondly, you might have a random thought that you post as your status. Someone else might do something as simple as "like" it and you get a little gratification that someone out there is paying attention. Even I get that feeling of I'm not alone and someone is "listening."
Thing 11
I actively encountered my first blog after the 2004 presidential election. I was hurt and angry and confused and felt pretty damn alone in the world. I had heard about the Daily Kos, a left-leaning political site,during the election. When I finally visited the site, I found kindred spirits. But the site is so big, I felt as if my voice was continually drowned out by bigger political junkies than me, so I moved on. By spring of 2005, I had found Booman Tribune and it has been my political blog home ever since. I've written diaries there, I have left a number of comments over the years. I have also made a number of real life friends because of that blog
I have a number of friends who maintain blogs. I wish I had time to comment everyday. I don't feel nervous about making comments. Perhaps because I found the tips in the article to be pretty much common sense. But, for people who are new to blogging, the tips are perfect.
I wish that this blog had more traffic. I think perhaps I need to do a better job of tagging my posts. Better labels would provide more Google hits. I love it when a stranger stumbles onto my blog and adds to what had been a soliloquy. It really makes my day.
I have a number of friends who maintain blogs. I wish I had time to comment everyday. I don't feel nervous about making comments. Perhaps because I found the tips in the article to be pretty much common sense. But, for people who are new to blogging, the tips are perfect.
I wish that this blog had more traffic. I think perhaps I need to do a better job of tagging my posts. Better labels would provide more Google hits. I love it when a stranger stumbles onto my blog and adds to what had been a soliloquy. It really makes my day.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Things 9 and 10
I created a youtube account perhaps three years ago. It was in response to my inability to email a video to my parents in Florida. My son had done something cute and I had managed to tape the event. I tried several times to attach it to an email, to no avail; the file was simply too large. At the time, I didn't know about gmail, so the only way I could think to the share these videos of their only grandchild was to upload them to youtube. That's worked and since then I've upload concert video and more Andrew video. If anyone is curious, look for tacteacher and you'll find my paltry offerings.
I avoid youtube like the plague. I could get lost in hours of goofy Bugs Bunny clips. I do like to check out new music via youtube. If someone tells me about an artist, I look up a few songs and make up my own mind about the artist. I don use it with Andrew when he wants to look at trains or trucks or airplanes.
Sadly it is blocked in my district. I have asked to have it unblocked on teacher stations, but alas - no. I would love to use it when teaching satire (the Simpsons). I know that there is TeacherTube. I used it this summer to look for rocks and minerals videos for Andrew. It has less content, though I will look at it more extensively as I plan for my classes, especially if that white board is set to go.
As I stated before, I'm in a bit of a sour mood and this song really speaks to that. It is a beautiful live version of one of my all-time favorite songs. Enjoy!
I avoid youtube like the plague. I could get lost in hours of goofy Bugs Bunny clips. I do like to check out new music via youtube. If someone tells me about an artist, I look up a few songs and make up my own mind about the artist. I don use it with Andrew when he wants to look at trains or trucks or airplanes.
Sadly it is blocked in my district. I have asked to have it unblocked on teacher stations, but alas - no. I would love to use it when teaching satire (the Simpsons). I know that there is TeacherTube. I used it this summer to look for rocks and minerals videos for Andrew. It has less content, though I will look at it more extensively as I plan for my classes, especially if that white board is set to go.
As I stated before, I'm in a bit of a sour mood and this song really speaks to that. It is a beautiful live version of one of my all-time favorite songs. Enjoy!
Thing 8
Playing with graphics is new to me. I have never played with Photoshop. I'm not interested in Photoshop enough to devote the time to it. I like my photographs to stand on their own and frankly I think I'm good enough that the images I choose do just that.
I played a bit with the mashups and, aside from the Memory game, I really wasn't all that excited about them. They would be good tools to provide to my students when I assign a multi-media assignment.
The image generators were a bit more fun and I can see wasting many an hour playing on these sites. Again, offering these to my students as tools for assignments is a possibility. The other is for my lecture notes, especially if the interactive white board idly hanging on my wall ever becomes operational (and I get at least a little training). These sites would also be fun if I ever have to make a presentation at a staff meeting - just to loosen up the audience.
With everything going on in Lansing, I've been feeling a bit cynical. Then I found out that I will have five preps for this coming school year. So, when I thought about this assignment, my brain was in a darker place than I normally like. But, I wanted to pay tribute to my new favorite actor, Matt Damon.
I played a bit with the mashups and, aside from the Memory game, I really wasn't all that excited about them. They would be good tools to provide to my students when I assign a multi-media assignment.
The image generators were a bit more fun and I can see wasting many an hour playing on these sites. Again, offering these to my students as tools for assignments is a possibility. The other is for my lecture notes, especially if the interactive white board idly hanging on my wall ever becomes operational (and I get at least a little training). These sites would also be fun if I ever have to make a presentation at a staff meeting - just to loosen up the audience.
With everything going on in Lansing, I've been feeling a bit cynical. Then I found out that I will have five preps for this coming school year. So, when I thought about this assignment, my brain was in a darker place than I normally like. But, I wanted to pay tribute to my new favorite actor, Matt Damon.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Thing 7
As I stated in my post for Thing 6, I have had a Flickr account for several years. Photography is a passion and I have the cutest son in the world, thus I take more pictures than any human should.
I tagged a picture I took in London. It is of the wrong end of a telescope mounted on the hill of the Royal Observatory. All of my pictures are public, so feel free to browse through. They are in no way organized, but I plan on working on that, slowly but surely.
Would I use Flickr in my classroom? Maybe. Or perhaps I would create a Picasa account just for classroom use. I can see myself using it to prompt descriptive writing. Or, if I really had time, I would try to take pictures of outdoor advertising that uses literary techniques. That probably won't happen, but a girl can dream.
I tagged a picture I took in London. It is of the wrong end of a telescope mounted on the hill of the Royal Observatory. All of my pictures are public, so feel free to browse through. They are in no way organized, but I plan on working on that, slowly but surely.
Would I use Flickr in my classroom? Maybe. Or perhaps I would create a Picasa account just for classroom use. I can see myself using it to prompt descriptive writing. Or, if I really had time, I would try to take pictures of outdoor advertising that uses literary techniques. That probably won't happen, but a girl can dream.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Thing 6
Okay - now we're talkin'! Photography has been my passion since I was a kid. I remember being eight years old and my parents gave me a a Kodak 110 camera. It was as simple as possible and looked like this
I cried. No, seriously, I cried. Just imagine how emotional I got when I got a Polaroid. Eventually, I learned to develop film and photos. I took pictures for my high school newspaper and even won an honorable mention award mention from Columbia University for a baseball picture I took.
I take a ton of pictures. I've had a Flickr account for a few years. As a matter of fact, I take so many pictures that I pay for the ability to upload an unlimited number of pictures and videos.
I've already uploaded one picture, but that wasn't from Flickr, it was from Google images. My next big European trip will be to Paris, so I searched Paris and found a gorgeous shot of the Louvre. What I didn't know was that Flickr would post it separate from my post. C'est la vie! Enjoy!
I cried. No, seriously, I cried. Just imagine how emotional I got when I got a Polaroid. Eventually, I learned to develop film and photos. I took pictures for my high school newspaper and even won an honorable mention award mention from Columbia University for a baseball picture I took.
I take a ton of pictures. I've had a Flickr account for a few years. As a matter of fact, I take so many pictures that I pay for the ability to upload an unlimited number of pictures and videos.
I've already uploaded one picture, but that wasn't from Flickr, it was from Google images. My next big European trip will be to Paris, so I searched Paris and found a gorgeous shot of the Louvre. What I didn't know was that Flickr would post it separate from my post. C'est la vie! Enjoy!
Thing 5
I almost missed this one. Good thing I was multi-tasking last night and actually slowed down to re-read the assignments.
Last night, whilst making delicious blueberry jam, I played with RSS subscriptions and Google Reader. Because I was in a canning mood, I searched for food blogs, more specifically, preserving. I'm glad I did that because I found a couple of good spots, one with a divine looking recipe for balsamic blackberry jam (I believe that I have found something to make this weekend).If you like making jams check out this site.
The amount of information can be overwhelming and I wonder if this is a tool I'll start to use and then just drop it when life takes over. I'm not really sure that using RSS can fully mitigate that information overload feeling. I fear that I'll check it once a week and start to feel guilty that I hadn't checked in for a while. Blogs are so personal, that I begin to feel that, as a regular reader, I have a responsibility to regularly support the writer. Heck, I feel guilty if I don't write here more often.
As with everything, I will simply do what I can.
Last night, whilst making delicious blueberry jam, I played with RSS subscriptions and Google Reader. Because I was in a canning mood, I searched for food blogs, more specifically, preserving. I'm glad I did that because I found a couple of good spots, one with a divine looking recipe for balsamic blackberry jam (I believe that I have found something to make this weekend).If you like making jams check out this site.
The amount of information can be overwhelming and I wonder if this is a tool I'll start to use and then just drop it when life takes over. I'm not really sure that using RSS can fully mitigate that information overload feeling. I fear that I'll check it once a week and start to feel guilty that I hadn't checked in for a while. Blogs are so personal, that I begin to feel that, as a regular reader, I have a responsibility to regularly support the writer. Heck, I feel guilty if I don't write here more often.
As with everything, I will simply do what I can.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Thing 4
Well, I've recovered nicely from my trip to London, so I guess it's time to finish 23 Things Teachers Need to Know about Web 2.0.
Thing 4 deals with subscribing to favorite blogs or other web-sites. I have to admit that I knew about RSS feeds before completing this lesson. I had chosen not to use them because I was afraid that I would get swamped with too much information. I still kind of feel like that.
I could see using it if my students were keeping blogs. But, unless my school unblocks blogspot, I won't be asking my students to maintain a blog.
On a personal level, when I am looking for something new, I use stumbleupon. Right now, I just add a new site to my delicious bookmarks and check in from time to time. I could just subscribe to the site and receive up-dated information. That would be a more efficient use of my time. Perhaps I will try just that.
Thing 4 deals with subscribing to favorite blogs or other web-sites. I have to admit that I knew about RSS feeds before completing this lesson. I had chosen not to use them because I was afraid that I would get swamped with too much information. I still kind of feel like that.
I could see using it if my students were keeping blogs. But, unless my school unblocks blogspot, I won't be asking my students to maintain a blog.
On a personal level, when I am looking for something new, I use stumbleupon. Right now, I just add a new site to my delicious bookmarks and check in from time to time. I could just subscribe to the site and receive up-dated information. That would be a more efficient use of my time. Perhaps I will try just that.
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Thing 3
Blogs in school? Sadly, anything closely resembling a host for blogs is blocked in my school. I can see a definite use in my class, in particular my AP Literature class. I can see a blog taking the place of a reader's notebook, with students keeping notes on-line as they progress through a novel or play. Or, I could ask them to reflect on a poem. Sadly, I could read none of that at school and I'd hate to sentence myself to yet more work at home. My only option is to see how I could employ a wiki in my class, a goal I had already set for August. If that framework is viable, I will put that to work in my AP class for the fall. I think my students would respond very enthusiastically to a blog assignment, especially if I don't run that play option too often.
Some of the blogs that I read were not class blogs, but instead blogs about the school day. I am a reflective practitioner of my profession. I regularly read recent, research-based books about teaching. The last thing I want to do is to turn my blog (or start another one) into the day in the life of teaching. I already find that I find myself easily consumed with how needy my students are, both academically and personally. If I wrote about my day, everyday, would it stop the current assault on the teaching profession, creating empathy? I don't think so. I'm interested in so much more in the world and I'm interested in exploring those sides of me. It carries no more interest than maintaining a strict mommy or a strict autism blog. Those issues are not the sole qualities that define who I am.
Would I use a blog for my classes? Yes. Would I maintain a "teacher blog"? No.
Some of the blogs that I read were not class blogs, but instead blogs about the school day. I am a reflective practitioner of my profession. I regularly read recent, research-based books about teaching. The last thing I want to do is to turn my blog (or start another one) into the day in the life of teaching. I already find that I find myself easily consumed with how needy my students are, both academically and personally. If I wrote about my day, everyday, would it stop the current assault on the teaching profession, creating empathy? I don't think so. I'm interested in so much more in the world and I'm interested in exploring those sides of me. It carries no more interest than maintaining a strict mommy or a strict autism blog. Those issues are not the sole qualities that define who I am.
Would I use a blog for my classes? Yes. Would I maintain a "teacher blog"? No.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Thing 1 and Thing 2
For my regular readers out there (all four or five of you), this post is an assignment for a cousre that I am taking this summer - 23 Things Teachers Need to Know about Web 2.0. My primary reason for taking this course is to fulfill the last CEU requirements I need to maintain my teaching license. I need three credits and this course, when completed, will give me two. My second reason for taking this course is I like to try and stay ahead of the curve. I know that many of my students know more about technology than me. I'm not afraid to ask them questions. I thought that taking this course, I could know something before they do.
I have been keeping (more or less) this blog since 2008. I don't write as much as I would like. Being an English teacher/student council adviser/soon-to-be divorced mom to a mildly autistic son leaves me little time for extras. I have, however, grown quite comfortable writing about nearly any topic. There are, obviously, topics that are verboten - mostly related to my son. The particular details of my divorce are off-limits. Beyond that, why not. We live in a world of 24-hour news and endless streams of reality television. My house is not packed to the ceiling with garbage hoarded over the years, I'm not addicted to anything (okay, maybe Lindt's dark chocolate with sea salt), and I don't pretend to have any musical talents. I do think, however, that I am a pretty decent writer and a good person. Through my writing, if one other person is experiencing something similar to me, than suddenly, we are both less alone and isolated.
I work in a district that is extremely poor. The threat of an EMF looms large on the horizon. Many of my students come from completely chaotic homes. They all have cell phones and MP3 players and yet, when I've tried to design assignments that implement those items (download an audio book), they don't budge. What my students need are mentors. People in their lives who see the value of an education. They need life skills that lead them to do more than shrug their shoulders and quit.
Many of them still don't have computers at home. It's pie-in-the-sky to talk dreamily of technology when each district is facing a $300/student cut next year. I have a lovely Smart board that has been decorating my wall since March. It is unusable because it isn't connected. My data projector remains sadly unmounted from the ceiling and cords are no where to be found. I'd love to engage my students with activities using that bit of technology, but I draw the line at climbing up ladders and using power tools over my head.
Of the two articles, I enjoyed the one by Steve Hargadon the most. The middle school article is clearly a Utopian concoction, as I have never met a class full of 13-year olds mature enough to handle The Grapes of Wrath. The Hargadon article lays out emerging trends that should give people food for thought and also tips for those who are cautiously dipping their toes into the new world's pool.
I'd like to say that technology is not going to be a panacea for kids who don't achieve and schools that have no money. I am also concerned that the uber-enthusiasm for all things technology based will take us down the whole language versus phonics path. The reality has show that the answer to teaching reading falls somewhere in the middle, and, as always, starts at home.
I have been keeping (more or less) this blog since 2008. I don't write as much as I would like. Being an English teacher/student council adviser/soon-to-be divorced mom to a mildly autistic son leaves me little time for extras. I have, however, grown quite comfortable writing about nearly any topic. There are, obviously, topics that are verboten - mostly related to my son. The particular details of my divorce are off-limits. Beyond that, why not. We live in a world of 24-hour news and endless streams of reality television. My house is not packed to the ceiling with garbage hoarded over the years, I'm not addicted to anything (okay, maybe Lindt's dark chocolate with sea salt), and I don't pretend to have any musical talents. I do think, however, that I am a pretty decent writer and a good person. Through my writing, if one other person is experiencing something similar to me, than suddenly, we are both less alone and isolated.
I work in a district that is extremely poor. The threat of an EMF looms large on the horizon. Many of my students come from completely chaotic homes. They all have cell phones and MP3 players and yet, when I've tried to design assignments that implement those items (download an audio book), they don't budge. What my students need are mentors. People in their lives who see the value of an education. They need life skills that lead them to do more than shrug their shoulders and quit.
Many of them still don't have computers at home. It's pie-in-the-sky to talk dreamily of technology when each district is facing a $300/student cut next year. I have a lovely Smart board that has been decorating my wall since March. It is unusable because it isn't connected. My data projector remains sadly unmounted from the ceiling and cords are no where to be found. I'd love to engage my students with activities using that bit of technology, but I draw the line at climbing up ladders and using power tools over my head.
Of the two articles, I enjoyed the one by Steve Hargadon the most. The middle school article is clearly a Utopian concoction, as I have never met a class full of 13-year olds mature enough to handle The Grapes of Wrath. The Hargadon article lays out emerging trends that should give people food for thought and also tips for those who are cautiously dipping their toes into the new world's pool.
I'd like to say that technology is not going to be a panacea for kids who don't achieve and schools that have no money. I am also concerned that the uber-enthusiasm for all things technology based will take us down the whole language versus phonics path. The reality has show that the answer to teaching reading falls somewhere in the middle, and, as always, starts at home.
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