The Rantings from Room F-1

Is it the end or only the beginning?

2009-07-04T23:56:00.000-07:00

Learning 2.0 was a great class! I had previously taken a class and learned the "things" but did not necessarily learn how to apply them to the classroom. I also liked the format of the class although I might include a warning about how addicting some of the "things" are! Although keeping up with other people's blogs and commenting on them was tedious, I actually came to appreciate it because I got so many ideas and learned how to effectively comment! I really enjoyed the wikis and plan to incorporate that as well as the blog in my classroom next year. I am going to include a page in my wiki where students make a goal for themselves for books they will plan to read, similar to the 50 Book Challenge in the LibraryThing. (This was favorite!) I also hope to join a book club in the LibraryThing as well as incorporate a book club in my classroom. Google Docs will have a permanent home in my room. I love to have the students collaborate and this is a great way to have the students work on a presentation. I also want to use Google Earth if possible (don't know if they'll let me download!) to help the students get an idea of the bigger world around them.

Thanks for everything! Had a blast!

Thing #23--Beyond MySpace: Other Social Networks

2009-07-03T13:49:00.000-07:00

The Ning sites were not what I expected when I was thinking social networking. They reminded me more of a high tech wiki than a social networking site. I did find them useful. The discussion tabs were the best. There was so much information and so many ideas flowing that you could find what you were looking for. There were also enough people on the site that if you asked a question, you would be guaranteed to get some sort of response.

Thing #22--Explore Social Networking

2009-07-03T13:47:00.000-07:00

People are social beings. Our students are social beings. Social networking brings this to a head. Our students want to be heard and this is the way the world can hear them, especially their friends.

I just recently joined Facebook (knowing I had to for the class). I wanted to get to know the site before I had to write about it. Boy is it addictive! You right what you think and people actually want to know and respond AND you want to know what others have to say. Facebook has SO MANY different things to it. You can play games, send gifts, do quizzes, find groups who have similar interests (like the cold side of the pillow), find family, put birthdates on a reminder calendar, upload pictures, chat, and that's just what I've found! The only thing that I dislike about the site is that some of the applications are repetitive, but hey, that's advertising!

Educational application? I am curious how much educational application this really has. I could see more potential for the discussion tab on a wiki and this is why. Students want to talk. As mentioned above, we are social creatures who want to be heard. Now if they are going to talk, I guess we could give them something to talk about. However, I don't see many students "poking" another student for help on their math homework. I think this would be better suited for the wiki.

Thing #21--Google's not just for searching anymore

2009-07-03T13:46:00.001-07:00

I am amazed at the many "things" Google now has available. This past year, I tried to create a website for the students to go to for their homework. (Click here to see our site!) It didn't quite turn out how I had expected so I cancelled it. Any ideas of how to improve it?

I've also used to Google Books to preview books that I wanted to incorporate in my class. This was great! I didn't have to purchase the book and was able to read the first few chapters and decide what was best for my classroom.

The new idea I have came from my husband. He suggested that we use Google Earth to map out our plan for our trip, to see what was in the same location so that we could get the most seen in two days. The last two years, I have tried to have students map out locations of where their clothes were made. They struggle because they don't know where all of the places are. Students can now use Google Earth and find the location and then label it on a map. They could also use a spreadsheet or graph to list their pieces of clothing. This is awesome!

Thing #20--Google Docs

2009-07-03T12:51:00.000-07:00

GoogleDocs is a technology I am somewhat familiar with. I didn't use it much last year and was thinking of ways to use it this year. I have embedded one form that I thought of using for the start of the year. Another idea I had was creating a recipe form. I have tried for several years to make a recipe book for the students with little success. Students have a hard time remembering to bring a recipe to class. If students had access to the form on a class wiki or blog, they could enter the recipe at home or bring a recipe in. A collaborative document could be a presentation using color schemes. We learn about the color wheel and students usually have a hard time seeing the color schemes. After showing them examples, they can work as a group and take pictures of the different color schemes and upload them to their GoogleDoc presentation.

Loading...

Thing #19--VoiceThread

2009-07-03T11:07:00.000-07:00

So what do you think?

VoiceThread was interesting. I can see it more for personal use but I do have two projects that it might work with. The first is that I usually do what's called a "Me Bag". Students decorate a bag and place five things inside that represent them. Instead, I could have them upload five pictures and describe them in the presentation. Students also do a baby project. For extra credit when they take their babies home for the weekend, they may take photos of them doing different things and create a VoiceThread to discuss their experiences with the babies.

Thing #7b--Google Reader Revisited Again

2009-07-02T22:16:00.000-07:00

The blog I read is entitled How Fakes on eBay Save Antiquities. This blog summarizes another website that explains how ebay has affected the antiquities market. The market has seen a decrease in sales since people are now buying knock-offs much cheaper. Instead of looting, people are creating their own copies and then turning around and selling them. This is saving the priceless treasures which had once been stolen and robbed from history, but now is having a detrimental affect on the selling of antiques. We have to decide what's more valuable: the history or the money?

Thing #18--You too can YouTube

2009-07-02T21:30:00.000-07:00

Exploring YouTube and TeacherTube was interesting. My search criteria was kitchen safety. On YouTube, I found multiple videos relating to kitchen safety, specifically handling a knife and fire safety. After searching and going in circles on TeacherTube, I found one kitchen safety video. I like the filter that TeacherTube has but I think that I will use YouTube more often.

The video below is about kitchen and fire safety. Every year I have students ask me what to do in the case of a grease fire. I can use this in class to start a discussion for kitchen safety and answer their question.

Here is my "How to" video. It's lots of fun!

Thing #17--Podcasts: no iPods needed!

2009-07-01T22:33:00.000-07:00

Finding the podcasts on Google Reader was frustrating at first. The keywords that I was typing in was linking to EVERYTHING on the web. I typed in "cooking podcast" and was really excited when I saw that a professional TV chef was going to start a podcast. The problem with this was that the feed was from 2006 so it never showed up on my reader. Stinks, but eventually I found a podcast.

The podcast I found was from Free Culinary School.com. The podcast entitled FCS Episode 1| Basic Knife Skills described how to use a knife and do basic cuts. On their website, they also included photos on how to hold your knife and how to use your guide hand. This is something that the students could really use!

The uses I have seen for podcasting are students doing speeches through the podcast instead of them standing up in front of a class. This works really well for a shy student. Also we had students last year who created podcasts telling about the art they created. I could also see potential for students doing a presentation via podcast and other students evaluating their work.

Podcasting to me previously was nearly impossible. I did not have a microphone and did not feel the investment was worth the trouble, as well I didn't think my students or school would see the worth in the investment. (Now we have microphones on the computers...go figure?) But I went to a conference and found out there are podcasts that can be entered online via phone and everybody has access to a phone.

Thing #16--Library Thing

2009-06-30T22:02:00.000-07:00

Library Thing is awesome! I am reading a book in class next year and was looking for a way to do a book club. Found it! The students may even look up outsider's points of view! They can look up books recommended and not recommended and explore books by topic which is one of the reasons my students say they don't read. "I can't find a book that I like!"

My favorite part is the 50 Book Challenge! This would be great to challenge students to push themselves to read, even if it's only one book. I would adapt it and include it as a page of the class wiki. I would also list recommended readings and do the book club through this.

Thing #15--Play in the Wiki Sandbox

2009-06-30T21:56:00.000-07:00

The wiki was a lot of fun and simple to use! It was however very time consuming. If this was being used in a classroom, a lot of time would have to go into the planning and piecing together of the wiki, but once implemented, it would run smoothly!

I really like the activity of a get-to-know-you page. I have students all the time say they don't want to work with someone because they don't know them. Well, this is a great way to do a get to know you because you have to read the information to get to burning question. You could even use this for grouping students.

Check out my wiki!

Thing #7a--Google Reader Revisited

2009-06-29T22:28:00.000-07:00

The article I found was really insightful! The Progressive Grocer put out an article entitled Families Need Guidance in the Kitchen: Research. The research, done in New Jersey, states that "mothers want, and need a better grasp of, kitchen basics." If the mothers had help with meal prep, kitchen organization, and effective grocery shopping, they would create more healthy meals for their families. This is really helpful to know what direction I should go in my classroom.

The thing I was the most surprised at was that the research found that using canned foods were the most effective because they are precooked and quick. I never thought to teach my students how to cook with canned goods. I always tend to teach the ideal! This was an eye-opener! I will be incorporating more recipes using canned goods next year! As well, a website called Mealtime.org was created to help these mothers. Take a look and tell me what you think!

Thing #14--What in the wold is a wiki?

2009-06-29T21:39:00.000-07:00

Before this class, I had created a wiki. This is where the story ends. My idea was for teachers to share ideas through it, but that plan fell flat. I had also created a website that I wasn't very pleased with. It turned out okay but I just couldn't make it work and make them work together. I was stuck. Looking at Cool Cat Teacher's Wiki Wiki Teaching Blog really helped me to see that I could take some basic steps. I had never thought of just doing vocabulary and having the students investigate them further. What a novel idea! I could even have them investigate some of the theorists we discuss in my classroom!

The other wikis were inspiring. They ranged from simple, the Kindergarten Counting Book, to complicated, Discovering Utopias. I liked the idea of the Kindergarten Counting Book because the students took the concept they were learning in class (counting) and found it in real life. The thing I liked about the Discovering Utopias blog was the discussion tab, particularly Utopian War Game. The students asked if they could make their project into a war game similar to the game Risk. The teacher adjusted to this idea and created rules for the students. The project was enhanced through the use of the wiki!

I also liked Dr. Reich's Chemistry Wiki. He had the notes available on the blog. I would love to go to this concept but due to the limited availability of technology--his students had their own laptops--this would be difficult to do.

On a more personal note, I fear blogging. Mainly because I don't know if I really have anything interesting to contribute personally or professionally. I wonder how Cool Cat Teacher got to where she is today.

Thing #13--Social Bookmarking and Tagging with Del.icio.us

2009-06-27T22:32:00.000-07:00

Delicious is a site that is very familiar to me and one that I could not live without! Up to this point however, I had not used the social side of it. This is the best part. I can see unlimited possibilities in the classroom. If a group of students are working on a project, they can tag sites anywhere and investigate them further when they get back together as a group. Teachers can tag sites and share them with one another. I can't wait to see what else I can find!

http://delicious.com/michelleweed

Thing #12--Discovering Web 2.0 Tools

2009-06-27T17:10:00.000-07:00

Many of the technologies that were listed I had already experienced in one form or another. Below I included an example of a Wordle I created for my classroom. I am currently using Writeboard and have found it to be very useful. I lose paper all the time and Writeboard has allowed me to keep all of my information for the class in one area. It is very simple to use. (Click here for a link to my 23 Things Writeboard.)

Another technology I tried is Quizlet. I found this to be an interesting technology. You create flash cards for the topic of choice. You may make them available for everyone to see or limited to just your choice of people. You may also have co-authors. Then the person using the flash cards may play two games to review the information. Then they may take a quiz to review the information.

This is a WONDERFUL tool that may be used! You may make flash cards for the base information the students must know and have them review on the computer. I used the Color Wheel because this is the foundation for much of the teaching that I do during the fifth and sixth six weeks. The students may then review the information through games on the internet. They are timed which allows for competition and the learning of the information. Then if I really wanted to, I could have them test on the computer and print it out. There is also a social feature on this site. You may join groups and use other people's cards. This helps out with having to not make your own sets if the information is already there. Finally, if you have a facebook account, you can link to your account and it's one less password you have to remember!

Game for Color Wheel flash cards created using Quizlet

Wordle of all of the PFD TEKS

Thing #11--Online Image Generators

2009-06-24T23:59:00.000-07:00

The hardest part I had with the generators was coming up with things to say. I think the image generators would be an awesome way for students to visually depict what they learned in class. They can pick a generator like the sign generator and come up with a phrase to summarize the information. They could then upload it to their class blog for a grade. They can also use the pics to spruce up a presentation!

Update: I just realized how we can use the image generators! You can pull out the key points and use the graphics to illustrate them! It was right in front of me! Thanks 23 Things facilitators!

Above images created by Spell with Flickr, using Flickr One Letter photo pool. Click any letter to see original image with attribution and CC license.

Thing #10--Create a Slideshow!

2009-06-24T23:16:00.000-07:00

This is a slideshow of the places my husband and I will be seeing on our trip to Ireland this summer. I am so excited to be going back!

Photo Credits:
1. View From Ross Castle by WordRidden
2. Night London Panorama with Full Moon by Dimitry B
3. Oxford University by TEDizen
4. Limerick, Ireland by Mark Heard
5. Dublin, Ireland by Ducttape30
6. DSC_0164 by pawelbak

Thing #9--Photosharing with Flickr

2009-06-24T14:05:00.000-07:00

This picture was taken in Limerick City, Limerick, Ireland. This picture is of the River Shannon. I know this because I did a semester of university there. I chose this picture because this was such a huge part of my life, and this summer I will be sharing that with my husband.

I have used Flickr this past year for projects within my classroom. The problem is that I didn't realize some of the pictures were copyrighted. I just assumed free site=free pics. Boy was I wrong! The creative commons area was nice. I appreciate that they put a section on their website specifically for pictures that are shared. Now not only can I direct the students to the right site, but I can teach them about copyright as well.

Picture was taken by Mark Heard. Click to image to see original image with attribution and CC license.

Thing #8--Creative Commons

2009-06-23T22:21:00.001-07:00

I just recently noticed the CC logo on one website and was curious what it meant. I have always seen the infamous "C" and been so scared of what rules I was or was not breaking and whether the five line documentation I added to the end of my research papers was enough. I have always been afraid of using information from websites and such because I haven't gotten permission and no matter how many times you email them, they NEVER contact you. How are you supposed to get in contact with someone about the use of their information if they don't even list a phone number. I'm guessing that the whole world is not controlled by the web and robots. (Kidding...) I think CC is awesome! I now know what I can and can't do. I can now teach my students what they can and can't do and it's all free! My more creative students are able to CC their work as well! This offers endless possibilities! The only drawback is giving permission through CC and then someone using your work in a way that you never thought it could be used. I guess there's no turning back after that!

Thing #7--Creating Community Through Commenting

2009-06-23T20:32:00.001-07:00

Commenting...to do or not to do...

Commenting has been an interesting task. I am generally just a blog-reader not a blog-commenter. For the blogs for the class, I am so nervous about what I say for a couple of reasons. 1. These are my colleagues and could be people I potentially work with in the future. 2. I wouldn't want them putting something negative on my blog either. How do you constructively criticize when the whole world can read what you write? For the "professional" blogs, I'm so nervous that I will say something stupid and then I know for sure that someone else will read the comment. Therefore I generally just put an "I agree!" or "Here! Here!" I vow to make more meaningful comments from this point on!

Thing #6--Feed Your Reader: Find and Subscribe to Feeds

2009-06-22T22:32:00.000-07:00

The RSS has been very overwhelming! At first I was so excited that with every website I would say, "Hey! This is interesting!", I would add it to my RSS feed. Not a good idea! I had to finally go back and reevaluate and reorganize my reader. I went back and created folders to organize the feeds based on use and purpose (ie classroom use, fun, and 23 Things). This was extremely helpful! I have been able to "read" my reader. Now if I want to read feeds designed for my classroom, I can go to that folder, or I can just browse everything!

I read multiple feeds about education in general through a custom news feed. Many of them focused on the political-side of education. The one that I found from the Custom News Feed that was interesting was entitled Education-Our Non-Priority. The author began his blog was a quote from President Obama: "'The future belongs to the nation that best educates its citizens.'" The author discussed how much money is being spent for education but that it is still lacking. In Europe, the students have begun to demonstrate for better education. The author continues describing how teachers all over the US are losing their jobs when GM and AIG are being bailed out but education is receiving budget cuts. So I pose this question: if "'The future belongs to the nation that best educates its citizens,'" then how are we investing in the future CEO of AIG, GM, and other fortune 500 companies?

I had difficulty finding blogs for applying education. Had we not had the suggestions for the education blogs, I wouldn't have found what I found. It was much more difficult to find the blogs because I didn't know how to look. I actually subscribed to two wikis called shifthappens and eduwikius. They have ideas for use of technology in the classroom as well as blogs and groups you can join to discuss different topics specific to your areas.

Thing #5--Getting Started with RSS

2009-06-21T22:35:00.000-07:00

The blog I read is Do We Rely Too Much on Technology? Interesting question. The author seems to think so when it comes to satellite navigation. He had two experiences in which the satellite navigation system gave him false directions--one set which ended him up in the same location! He even did the responsible thing and looked them up on the internet through a direction giving service. Still wrong! Therefore the question is still posed? Do we rely too much upon technology?

Answer: I would think so. And I agree wholeheartedly with the author when he says we need to do more research into the effects on the micro level, not just the macro. I wonder...how good is our student's spelling and grammar after a certain age? They rely so much on word processors that they struggle finding words in the dictionary and spelling things using pen and paper. Some of my students firmly believe that because is spelled "cuz!" What about the extent of their vocabularies? Are we limiting them as parents by not forcing them to read books that might be a little challenging for them? I'm interested to see what will come about next...

Thing#4--Blogging Begins with Reading

2009-06-21T21:37:00.000-07:00

The genre of blog writing is real. The author keeps the audience's attention by writing about things that they are/were passionate about. The information included is more like an editorial or even an advice column. The blogs include a lot more white space by using the enter key and avoiding the "wall of words" much like a newspaper making the reading easier. The author realizes that the blog reader wants the information now and fast. This is what I found refreshing. The blogs were both descriptive and did not include a lot of fluff and filler. Some were research-based while others were opinion-based.

The writer was able to interact with the readers through comments. The commenting gave the author the opportunity to reevaluate their writing. In the blog, Why I Don't Assign Homework, we see an example of this. Through reading the comments, the author chose to go back to his original blog and update. The comments I read also gave further elaboration on the blog and what impact it has had.

Blogging is an awesome concept for the classroom! Instead of having the students write a paper, why not have them write a blog! They will still be doing the research however now they prove it with hyperlinks. No more having to go back and check resources and praying that the student included every little slash and dash in their bibliography. This way the student can directly link the resource and they are able to check to be sure it's right. More accountability for them! And through this, we can also teach responsible web searching!

P.S. This does not take the place of ALL papers! =)

Thing #2--A Day in the Life of Web 2.0

2009-06-16T22:46:00.000-07:00

"It takes a village to raise a child." -African Proverb

Wow! This article was enlightening! I never once imagined the magnitude and the impact that technology could have within a school district! To think that an entire school district, even an entire community could be that tuned in with one another far outreaches the scope of my thinking! Man was I thinking small!

So what does this mean for me and my classroom? I need to get an iPod! I loved the idea of subscribing to RSS feeds and keeping up-to-date with the latest research in your field. I also liked the idea of cross-curricular sharing using technology. But not only that, to have the parents in tune with what you are doing! You can now describe in detail your expectations on a project or an extensive assignment, so that when a student says that they can't remember the directions, the parent can just go to their computers and have the verbal and written instructions at their fingertips! I also loved having the extra-curriculars like band and choir available by podcast. This could help boost their programs!

So how can I use these tools? Well, that is the million dollar question that I have struggled with for a year now. My limitation is that not all of my students have internet access at home. What do we do for those students? My only thought is to do all of the technology at school.

Why use technology? The students (or at least most of them) are on using it anyway! Why not give them some guided use??

Thing #1--7-1/2 Habits of Highly Successful Lifelong Learners

2009-06-16T21:04:00.000-07:00

The habits which I find the most challenging are beginning with the end in mind and viewing problems as challenges. I have always struggled with this. I'm great at coming up with these brilliant and extravagant ideas, but I struggle with putting the goal into words and developing the detailed plan to fulfill that goal. Then when a problem arises, I get overwhelmed with the details and reality and I quit.

The habit I will find the most easy to teach/mentor others. I love helping other people discover what's available to them.

The habits that I find most challenging are the ones I will need to work through the most. I need to learn how to put my goals in words and create a detailed step-by-step plan to reach those goals. I need to figure out a way to break down the problems in a way that I can complete them while not getting overwhelmed with the task at hand.