Thing #24

This experience has flown right by! I can't believe this semester is already over. I've come into contact with so many things I never would have imagined in such a short period of time. This has shown me to always keep an eye out cause you never know when or where you'll find the next useful piece/function of technology! I want to be learning forever and not just get stuck in my old ways with my same old programs and devices. I believe that this program is pretty much just right. There are a few outdated links here and there but it was easy enough figure out. That being said it definitely is not too easy! It gives you the amount of work that you choose to put into it and really that is all you can ask for. How do I plan to keep up with new developments in web 2.0? Well, for one I will check some of those RSS feeds that I signed up for. It is a blessing that I can always just look back at my blog to refresh my memory of what we have gone over. Where do I go from here? Well I have certainly learned of some resources I can use in my classroom. So of course I will want to try and stay informed and try to keep up with new innovative tools that make things even easier! I'm pleased that I was able to actually complete this blog which leads me to believe it actually is not that hard to keep up with blogs! I hope to create and keep up with a blog for my own personal thoughts. It will help me keep my sanity from all the stress I'm sure I'll come into contact with. Like I have mentioned in quite a few of my posts Google and all of its many tools will forever be a part of my life. I love all of them and was excited that I actually got to explore a few that I had never used as a class assignment! I also learned to look outside of the box a little bit. Something that on a glance seems useless can actually be used in different ways that actually benefit me.

Thing #23

When I googled "23 Things for Teachers" I got a whopping 39 MILLION results. This is obviously something that has been adopted widely. I also learned that it is available in a range of different languages in the Netherlands its called 23 Dingen and in Spain La Web 2.0 en 23 Pacos. Just the fact that it is so widespread is enough for me to know that this is an idea taken and changed in many different ways to suit the needs or the people using it. This is a link to one of the other guides to 23 things that is much like our own.

Knowing about creative commons is half the battle. Now that I officially know how it works I can more efficiently seek out things that I want to use. I can narrow things down to the specific sort of CC I need. It also allows me to create my own service and share it with people if I so please. I really like the ability to remix works because you can get many different view points on one basic subject that way. I'm not sure how much I will personally use these in my classroom but at least I will know they exist and are there for me.

Thing #22

Educator Tips

I named my binders: Art Education, Educator Tips, and General Education.
In the art ed. binder I placed things related to art education. For example I added a few museums and art lesson plans as well as art history to it. For the Educator tips binder I added things that were helpful for teachers themselves. Like good time management skills, organization skills, and motivational things to keep you going! In the general education binder I placed things that were not specifically art ed. but things that I found would be useful in the classroom for the students regardless of subject matter.
Live binders can easily be used as a tool in the classroom. You can send students on a guided search basically. You can choose which websites they use for their information by putting them in a binder and then give the students access to that binder and you're set! The lesson possibilities are endless. You could create a scavenger hunt, do a research based project, or even use it for extra help activities for students in need.

Thing #21

Make a video of your own at Animoto.

Wow! That was actually really fun and cool to use. I loved how very simple it was to make. I feel like this would be something fun to use in the future. If it was something I wanted to use often I would probably upgrade so that I could create whatever length I wanted.  Still 30 seconds is enough for younger children to have some fun playing with it and seeing how useful it can potentially be. For mine I chose random images I had on my computer and am surprised on how well they actually went together. I also chose a random song and was very entertained to see that it allows you to choose your own 30seconds from the song. This is cool if you like the middle or the end more than the first 30 seconds. Plus, you can choose something that better matches your videos content!

Thing #20

I found this video humorous because it is so very true! We just swallow all this sometimes useless information just to forget it. It is a real problem in education today. We don't feel the need to hold on to the information we learn and thus we forget it. If we had the self motivation and the more involving lessons we may remember things just a little longer. I really like youtube it is both a boredom curer and a helpful resource. You can basically find a how-to video for anything you can imagine. It would be interesting if an appropriate playlist were created and posted on a library website because it would keep all the information nearby. Some people are visual learners and some are not and you can knock out two birds with one stone using videos. Students have something to watch and something to listen to.

Thing #19

Visit TeacherPop

I commented on this and uploaded a picture, and added the badge widget. :)
I am a member of a few these online communities;
Grooveshark (Fantastic web based music player), Pinterest (Online Pinboard), and Alternativeto (a site that lists alternatives to popular software).
Craftster and Tasty Kitchen interest me. I love doing DIY crafts when I have spare time so I'm constantly looking for ideas. Tasty kitchen interests me simply because who doesn't love food?! Plus, I'm not the best cook and don't know how to make all that many things so anything that has super delicious pictures and recipes on it I'm in!

Thing #18

https://twitter.com/Charmanderish

I don't want to put my facebook information out here for all to see (although it is easy enough to look me up) so I used my old twitter. I don't really use twitter ever. I have not been a fan of it because I just don't see the point. I don't really like all the hashtag phrases because people are using them everywhere when it really doesn't matter on facebook. I don't think either of these websites are good to use in a school setting. It is important to know them and understand the basics but that is all. These are sites that I personally feel like are mostly used for personal things. If I absolutely had to pick one to use in school it would be twitter just because it would be easy to follow the teacher and/or students. Then you can make short statements from time to time addressing them.

Thing #17

When searching for educational technology I was surprised to see the wikispaces up so on the list high! I didn't personally enjoy it but I do see its merits. Some related tags on the side were web2.0, teaching, lessonplans, open soure, and collaboration. For me delicious will never be more than just an easy way to keep track of bookmarks from everywhere. I believe that teachers can use this in many ways. Either to find more resources for they themselves to use or to create a list of great bookmarks for their students to use. Either way it can make organization and sharing information a lot easier.

Thing #16

I made both an iGoogle and a NetVibes start page. I think that I like NetVibes more. There are so many options all at my fingertips and it is very simple to use thus far. I may use this frequently if I get it set up the way I like. The basic free version offers more than enough features with no need for the paid for versions. I like the fact that it has essential widgets listed so that I can pick which ones I want instead of them automatically placing useless things. The google one feels more like something you just glance at and move forward.
I feel as if online calendars are the way of the future. We basically have the internet in the palm of our hands 24/7 anyways. This puts our calendars and to do lists in our hands. No matter where you go you have access to it and the ability to change things on the fly. I actually use my google calendar semi-frequently as it is synced with my phone and will alert  me when events come up. The to do lists I find to be too much work. Setting them up just to mark them off as I do them? Nah, I'll pass for now.
I would recommend  using Google calendars to anyone with an android phone. I don't have an iphone or windows phone so I have no clue if you can sync your google stuff with them or not. Google saves me all the time it seems!

Thing #15

I don't care much for adding information or creating my own wiki. For me it is more bothersome than anything else. I will however, read them because I know they can have good information in them. I didn't really want to make an account so it was disappointing to have to do that rather than to be able to log in using facebook or something.  I did not enjoy using this at all. Here is a link to the edited/new post I added. 

Thing #14

Flow Charts are more educational by nature. It seems that they are more easily understood by the viewer because they are made with the viewer in mind. Many of us are introduced to different types of flowcharts at an early age. The Venn Diagrams that have become so familiar from our many years of schooling are a type of flow charts. Their name is very fitting because they can be used to help keep the flow of information going. Another familiar for of flowcharts are the tiered ones that show the rank of people of businesses with the boss or leader on top.

This is an example template from Gliffy's flowchart program.

Mind charts seem to be the opposite of flowcharts in a way. Mind charts are more for personal use. You create one connecting ideas and things by your own thoughts and the subject is always of your choosing. Often times they are just a bunch of words that only the creator knows why they are placed the way they are. Mind maps can also be used as a task listing device so that you can remember what to do and possibly in what order. Mind maps may be useful for the visual thinkers/learners in the classroom. It will allow students to connect the information they are learning in their own way.

This is the Mind Chart I created using bubbl.us

I chose Gliffy as my flowchart program because I enjoyed all of the template choices I had. I believe it makes it just that much easier for someone to go in a make one with all the guidance of haivng templates ready to use. I chose bubbl.us as my Mind chart program because I didn't like Mind Meister very much. Bubbl is much more user friendly in my opinion. I was able to easily figure out how to create bubbles where I wanted them and to move them around freely.

Thing #13

Zoho

Zoho Writer has all the basic features of a classic word program. A plus is its auto-save feature so you never miss out on forgetting to save. You can make the page full screen or not. You can also customize a dictionary so that you won't have red squiggly lines under things that are just not recognized as words. Your also able to import data which is an interesting feature. There is a share button that will allow you to share your documents with collaborators or just send it out in emails. The interface is clean with minimal distractions. It is fairly easy to navigate as well.

Google Docs
Google documents provides nearly limitless tools for students and non-students alike. There are many ways this can be used as a collaborative tool. It makes it 10x easier if you already have a gmail and most people with Android phones have one. An example of a way students can use this tool is by working on a presentation together. The students group can each do their part of the powerpoint using google's presentation and then pass it along to the next student in the group to add their part. This interface (to me) is a lot less overwhelming than the actual powerpoint software. Google keeps it clean and simple and helps even those that have never created a powerpoint before to easily be able to do so. Students can also share drawings and documents in the same manner.

I personally prefer Google Docs. Google has all of the best resources available to me from anywhere I have internet access. I use it a lot and even have my documents organized into folders for the most part. The best part is that I can upload any file to my Google docs and have access to it from anywhere. I love to do this with photos I take with my phone or images I have drawn and scanned in because then later on when I need them they are basically at my fingertips!

Thing #12

I chose to explore the Calendar and Picasa. I actually never noticed Google's calendar feature so image my surprise when I open it up and it ends up being exactly what I need. It is just like a planner except I do not have to carry around a solid copy and I can access it anywhere I have internet! (Which is easy since I have a smartphone) You can set up events by the hour and it has holidays already listed inside. You can change the color of any event to make it stick out more or less. You can even create multiple calendars! Like a work calendar, school calendar, and maybe even a free-time or workout calendar. Any of your contacts birthdays will be automatically added onto the calendar making it difficult to forget people's birthdays. You can change the view from a monthly, 4 days, weekly, daily, or even agenda style. I think this is a great resource for everyone's life and best off it is free!

Picasa seems like a nice way to share and edit photographs. I did not want to download the software but what I read from the information page interested me. I especially liked the side by side comparison that you get whilst editing images so you can easily tell if you like it better the way it was or the way it is! There are a large amount of filters and settings you can run images through in order to tailor them to your liking. There is even a sync to web option where as soon as you edit a picture to your liking it is automatically uploaded to your web album. Currently I do not have much of a need for a photo editor but maybe in the future I will come back and give it a shot.

Thing #11

I found the Google Blog Search to be the most visually appealing to me. It was the only one I could stand looking at for a long period of time. The other options were a bit too cluttered for my liking. However, I did see and interesting topic on Topix it was "Pay-to-Spray Firefighters Watch as Home Burns". I find all of the comments interesting yet annoying. If I had to choose between Topix and Technorati I would choose Technorati. I think that it is slightly more appealing than Topix and just by being more appealing it is automatically easier to use. I just use Google in general to find interesting things. Many websites these days have an RSS feed button somewhere. So by just traveling through sites I can come across tons of information I may or may not wish to follow.

Thing #10

I do not really enjoy the RSS feeds. I don't really have much time to keep up with random new and information. I can see its merits and uses but I do not feel like I personally will use this much. I know that teachers will be able to use this technology to better understand their subject matter, students, lessons, and more. It is an easy way to keep up with news and information from educational groups and a great way to keep up with the latest research in child development. 
I signed up for
Dangerously Irrelevant
Explosm.net 
GameSpot's News, Screenshots, Movies, Reviews, Previews, Downloads, and Features
Top Stories from Health.com
Confessions of a Pioneer Woman | Ree Drummond - Full RSS Feed 

Thing #9

For this image I just typed in Thing Nine and the generator did all the rest! I think all of the options are super funky and fun! 

This one is really cool! I typed in the words that I wanted to use and then I was able to change a bunch of different things. I liked the heart shape so I stuck with it but I could have chose a star, cat, or even a peace sign! Then I chose colors that I liked the look of together. After I finished there were very easy instructions for attaching this image to things.


PS: Click the images to get to the generator websites.

Personally, these generators are great personality statements! You can use them to embellish your personal blog, post them to your facebook, or just print them and hang them up. In the classroom it would be more fun than something very useful. So it might be something nice to allow the students to do for extra credit or extra points. They can use them to add extra flair to their assignments. 

Thing #8

http://bighugelabs.com/jigsaw.php


http://bighugelabs.com/fx.php

Student will have a blast using these tools in the classroom and at home! I know that I could spend hours playing with photo filters and effects. I personally do not mind sharing photos online. I only share the ones I feel like sharing. What I do not like is when other people share photos of you that are unflattering! hahaha! I chose the puzzle image editor cause it seemed like a good idea. Then I took a photo of a print me and my partner did and it looks great as a puzzle. The second is an image of my and my sister all dottified~ I think this is more useful in a home setting than in a classroom setting. However, some may find a use for it.

Thing #7

  
By: Gordon2208

     Flicker is very easy to navigate. All you have to do is type in one word and you have thousands of results (in some cases) and by typing in more specific words you can narrow down your search. I simply typed in unicorn and came up with both of these lovely photographs. I had found other images but some were protected so I went with ones that I could display without getting into trouble. With all the images flickr has it may be a nice resource in the art classroom. Children can use photos as a reference for things that they do not know the appearance of. So children that may have never seen a dolphin but would like to draw one can still draw one!






By: Le Petit Cirque

Thing #6

     There are actually a few resources on that list that I personally love. I will start with Google Chrome. This is a web browser like Firefox or Internet Explorer, but I feel as if its features surpass those of other browsers. The ability to have everything at your fingertips is amazing. All I have to do is log into the Google Chrome browser from any computer and it will pull up all of my favorites and settings. The browser offers easy access to everything you need, and I feel as if the browser works faster than others but that may just be my imagination. There are tons of ad-ons 'apps' that you can ad to your browser to increase it's usability. There are adblockers, different browser skins, and even games. The only thing I dislike is not specifically about the browser but rather the lack of this browser on many computers.
   Another resource I love is Grooveshark. I feel like using music as background noise in a classroom can cause students to be less talkative among themselves. Many children listen to music or watch TV while working on homework so they are used to it. I personally like to listen to music while I am drawing and when I am cleaning. Since I will be teaching an art classroom I'd hope for a similar effect. With Grooveshark you can select the exact songs you would like to play and even listen to them in advance. It will be easy to determine which songs are appropriate or not for students. There is a huge library to choose form so there should be no problem finding a song you would like to hear.

Thing #5

What does School 2.0 mean to me?
In my personal life Web 2.0 has a huge influence.  There are so many resources available to connect to others and collaborate. This is not different for the school system. There are more and more people looking for effective ways to use the internet in their classrooms. People are listening! There are plenty of resources made for teachers to collaborate with other teachers and students can collaborate with other students and their teachers. For me, I personally haven't gotten too involved in the community yet. I know that I will be eventually using the resources once I am out in the field.

What is it going to do to the future of education?
This is going to greatly advance the opportunities to learn for both students and teacher. Everyone learns in different ways and using these tools can help cater to those different learning styles. Students can find other students that have the same problems and learn how they cope with them. Many students become fluent in usage of technology at a young age. Many are more technologically adept then the teachers themselves so using technology will to learn may interest them way more then looking into books. I think that eventually everything will be technologically based and very few things will rely on written books.

Thing #4

Through commenting both the blogger and the commenter benefit through meaningful conversation. That is if the commenting is done properly. Each person is able to think more deeply about a topic and share their views amongst each other. It may also help boost someone's confidence in the knowledge they think they have on a topic. I believe that Darren Rowse has a point in thinking setting boundaries is an important thing. Without boundaries your blog may turn into a breeding ground for mean comments. It only takes one mean comment to possible spur hundreds in response. There should always be rules of common courtesy and rules against spamming. Another point that I like that was made by the same blog was to encourage and appreciate commentors. If you want people to continue coming back to your blog time and time again you must make them feel appreciated. Having a blog is almost like customer service if you want to have many followers. Make the readers happy and they will tell their friends and family to check out your blog too!


Blog's I have commented on
1 http://nolszewski5.blogspot.com/2012/10/thing-8.html
2 http://tech23things.blogspot.com/2012/09/thing-12-google.html
3 http://erittenberry.blogspot.com/2012/09/httpwww.html
4 http://aj3040.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-last-thing-24-we-keep-moving.html
5 http://kellishoemake3040.blogspot.com/2012/09/thing-twelve.html#comment-form
1 I made a comment here but it is awaiting approval
2 http://www.eduwonk.com/2012/12/common-core-a-farewell-to-a-farewell-to-arms-probably-not.html

Discussion of comments made..
1. Here I learned an importance that I didn't think of when I did a similar post on my blog!
2. I agreed upon how awesome using Google translate is and the ways it can be used in real life situations.
3. I enjoyed the idea of rewarding students for various things with an image featuring them and I also thought the smiley face generator was a good way to show off encouraging messages.
4. I agreed about how I didn't like signing up for too many sites but also agreed on the challenges and surprise at how easy making a blog was.
5. I agreed that google has oddly enough become a verb and that the alerts system is fantastic.
1. I commented on the merits of actually naming things properly and keeping up with it as well as the good ideas of keeping links more organized.
2. I commented on this blog agreeing that reading across the curriculum is a good thing and that more subjects can adopt it.

Thing #3

Using a blog may prove useful in my classroom. In the art classroom I can use it to post images I find important. I can then share these images with my students with relative ease. I could also use it to keep myself organized. I can post subjects I want to teach in class or homework assignments that I want the students to be able to access at home. There are of course other options for the blog as well. I can also use it as a resource to keep parents involved and to communicate with them. Overall, I think that blogs can be beneficial to the classroom.

Thing #2

    I just named my blog something educational because it was created for this classs. I chose my posting name as Lacera because it is a character I used to draw when I drew more often as a child.
    Creating this blog was relatively easy. I haven't ever kept up with a blog before, but hopefully I can at least hold on to this one for its useful resources. I have signed up to many different non-blog websites before so the registration process was easy. I also already had a Google email account so I just linked the two together.
   My avatar is not a physical representation of myself. I just had a lot of fun with the creation process. I like the color red so I went with a red hair color. I have a pet cat but he is certainly not an orange tabby. Dresses are my favorite things to wear because they are harder to grow out of. I picked an angry face because it made me laugh pretty hard. That just about wraps it up!

Oh, and here is a picture of my darling cat.

Thing #1

The easiest habit is to use technology to my advantage. 

I am almost constantly using some form of technology. It makes it a lot easier to find things I need when I am already familiar with the tools I'm using. Oh! Technology is constantly changing and advancing so it can be hard to keep on top of if you fall too far behind. I like to know as much as I can about the things I want to know and use and the Internet has near limitless sources.

The hardest habit is to accept responsibility for my own learning

I have a hard time getting motivated to learn. I will almost shut down from time to time because I just don't feel like it. I need to learn to get rid of those feelings and just jump right into it, because I am the only one who can learn things for myself!