I have to share another fun mashup I explored. This one is called Captioner found on the Big Huge Labs site. This application allows you to 'stamp' thought bubbles and captions onto pictures. I think this would be a hilarious way for students to show mastery of the various types of sentences: declarative, interrogative, exclamatory, and imperative!
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Thing #8
There are some amazing 3rd party applications out there that are truly addictive. I used Mosaic Maker to create a collage from my recent skydiving adventure. This is a mashup that I'm sure I'll be using frequently in my personal life. In fact I've already emailed it to my family and friends. :) In the classroom I can see using Mosaic Maker to have students demonstrate understanding of vocabulary words. First I would have students type the definition and upload a screen capture of it to flickr. Then they would search Flickr for pictures that convey their designated vocabulary word and place those pics into the set. Last they would use Mosaic Maker to transform the set into a collage. For example my skydiving mosaic could apply to vocabulary words such as: skydive, ecstatic, tandem, etc.
I have to share another fun mashup I explored. This one is called Captioner found on the Big Huge Labs site. This application allows you to 'stamp' thought bubbles and captions onto pictures. I think this would be a hilarious way for students to show mastery of the various types of sentences: declarative, interrogative, exclamatory, and imperative!
I have to share another fun mashup I explored. This one is called Captioner found on the Big Huge Labs site. This application allows you to 'stamp' thought bubbles and captions onto pictures. I think this would be a hilarious way for students to show mastery of the various types of sentences: declarative, interrogative, exclamatory, and imperative!
Thing #7
I have found a new addiction and its called Flickr! Does anyone else feel like grabbing their camera and hitting the town? In the past I've have spurts of high interest in photography and the bug has hit me again. :) I really enjoyed exploring the Flickr site - my favorite part was checking out the Last 7 Days. There is so much talent in our world; its wonderful to see so much of it showcased right in my living room!
How cool is The Commons?! I felt as if I was clicking through a museum and taking steps through time. I can definitely see using this part of Flickr in my classroom to enhance social studies and history lessons. Beyond The Commons I can see using Flickr tags and groups to pump up writing prompts by using a set or group of pics as story starters.
In the past I have used photobucket and then moved onto picasa which I currently use. I like that I can manage photos on my computer with picasa and then upload them in the same photo albums to the web. Its also convenient that my family uses picasa web albums so its simple to link albums and receive notifications when new pics have been added. I don't mind having photos posted on a public site. I'm satisfied with the privacy settings and I'm of the mindset if its not something you don't want people to see in the first place it shouldn't be put on there at all.
I'm pretty hyped about the possibilities of Flickr. I started my own account with my niece and nephew in mind. They are fascinated by my dog Peter and love hearing about his adventures in Louisiana. So my first set is dedicated to them; I'll be posting pics of all the craziness Peter gets into around the house. :)
How cool is The Commons?! I felt as if I was clicking through a museum and taking steps through time. I can definitely see using this part of Flickr in my classroom to enhance social studies and history lessons. Beyond The Commons I can see using Flickr tags and groups to pump up writing prompts by using a set or group of pics as story starters.
In the past I have used photobucket and then moved onto picasa which I currently use. I like that I can manage photos on my computer with picasa and then upload them in the same photo albums to the web. Its also convenient that my family uses picasa web albums so its simple to link albums and receive notifications when new pics have been added. I don't mind having photos posted on a public site. I'm satisfied with the privacy settings and I'm of the mindset if its not something you don't want people to see in the first place it shouldn't be put on there at all.
I'm pretty hyped about the possibilities of Flickr. I started my own account with my niece and nephew in mind. They are fascinated by my dog Peter and love hearing about his adventures in Louisiana. So my first set is dedicated to them; I'll be posting pics of all the craziness Peter gets into around the house. :)
Monday, September 27, 2010
Thing #6
I have a BIG family and I love LARGE gatherings but trying to get a table for 10 or more can be tricky and time consuming. OpenTable.com is an online reservation service where you can search local restaurants and make your reservations without having to call or go to the restaurant. It also provides users a place to comment and list information about the restaurants at which they've dined.
I Like It!
I tried out the site by searching a place to eat in Nashville on my birthday in November. I liked that a variety of restaurants resulted in the general search and when you hover over the name of a restaurant an info bubble pops up that shows:
- address
- neighborhood
- parking lot situation
- cuisine type
- price
- picture (only for some)
Room for Improvement
Unfortunately not all restaurants for an area are listed, including my favorite The Melting Pot. :( The site explains the restaurants that do show up have chosen to replace "pen-and-paper' reservations with the OpenTable computerized system (its the black terminal on the host stand). They ask that if you don't see a restaurant you like to let them know by clicking on their information link. And yes I have already let them know about The Melting Pot.
Neat Feature
A pretty cool feature of this site is you can earn frequent dining points and rewards. Every time you make a reservation and actually show up you receive about 100 points. Select reservations and times can be worth up to 1000pts! Now if you cancel or are a no show you won't receive any points for that reservation. Once you get at least 2,000 pts you can begin redeeming them for OpenTable Dining Cheques that can be used at any OpenTable restaurant.
School Lunch
This site would be extremely useful on school inservice and professional development days! It seems like every school gets out for lunch at the same time and if you're not dashing to your car or have designated someone to slip out early and save a table for your group... you're destined to be waiting in a long line of teachers. OpenTable would allow you to make your reservation before the inservice even begins. So make sure to check the site out and start recommending restaurants you'd like to see available.
Thing #5
School 2.0
Web 2.0 is defined by Richard MacManus on the readwriteweb site as "everyday, non-technical people using the
Web to enhance their lives and businesses." It is from his definition that I developed mine about School 2.0. I believe school 2.0 is everyday teachers (those tech savvy and tech skittish) using the web to enhance their instruction, classroom, and most importantly their students. There is not a single path which all students can follow to be successful. Teachers who embrace school 2.0 capitalize on this truth and use the technologies of web 2.0 to bring excitement and success to all students.
Schools of the Future
Ian Davis also on the readwriteweb site explained that Web 2.0 is "an attitude not a technology." This is a powerful statement for schools of the future. The atomic learning web clip showed the progression of classroom technology from black boards, to pencil and paper, and now the information/technology age. A consistency that will remain among this trend is that technologies will continue to advance with the times. The nature of web 2.0 and thus school 2.0 is constant evolution. For schools of the future to evolve with society's technology they must harness an attitude that welcomes technology and expects students and teachers to continuously stretch and build their everyday tech skills.
Web 2.0 is defined by Richard MacManus on the readwriteweb site as "everyday, non-technical people using the
Web to enhance their lives and businesses." It is from his definition that I developed mine about School 2.0. I believe school 2.0 is everyday teachers (those tech savvy and tech skittish) using the web to enhance their instruction, classroom, and most importantly their students. There is not a single path which all students can follow to be successful. Teachers who embrace school 2.0 capitalize on this truth and use the technologies of web 2.0 to bring excitement and success to all students.
Schools of the Future
Ian Davis also on the readwriteweb site explained that Web 2.0 is "an attitude not a technology." This is a powerful statement for schools of the future. The atomic learning web clip showed the progression of classroom technology from black boards, to pencil and paper, and now the information/technology age. A consistency that will remain among this trend is that technologies will continue to advance with the times. The nature of web 2.0 and thus school 2.0 is constant evolution. For schools of the future to evolve with society's technology they must harness an attitude that welcomes technology and expects students and teachers to continuously stretch and build their everyday tech skills.
Thing #4
Commenting on blogs is what brings them to life. The conversation that takes place through comments sets blogs apart from the one-dimensional sites that are not interactive. A common point made on all the recommended blog posts was that blog authors want to know they are being 'heard' - commenting accomplishes this. Cool Cat Teacher compared commenting to voting; its a way speak up about topics important to you.
How to criticize kindly was also addressed on the Cool Cat Teacher blog. She noted the following to consider before posting a comment.
Erica chose to learn more about Hulu for Thing #6. I am a big fan of this webware and have used it countless times. I commented to express my favor for Hulu and my interest in learning new ways to use it for the classroom.
4. Dean's Blog
Dean shared a hilarious app for Thing #2. Its called Blabberize. You get to upload a picture, highlight the mouth which will give it animation and then record a clip to attach with it. Dean's blabber is a talking monkey and is a riot. How cool would it be to introduce vocabulary words with a talking monkey!
5. David's APSU Blog
David created a sweet graphic on imagechef. It is a musical note composed of music vocabulary. I commented on his cool idea to have his students expand on his image to create their own and build a visually stimulating world wall.
Blogs not part of Learning 2.0 / 23 Things Learning Community
6. Mental Floss
Ah Mental Floss "where knowledge junkies get their fix"! I have subscribed to this magazine for years and am now happy be following their blog as well. :)
7. Maurice Elias
This blog is located on the Edutopia site. I decided to follow it because he frequently writes about social and emotional learning. One of my term papers this semester will be on emotional intelligence so I figured his blog would help me gather some background knowledge on the subject.
How to criticize kindly was also addressed on the Cool Cat Teacher blog. She noted the following to consider before posting a comment.
- Will it make a difference?
- Is my perspective already shared?
- First genuinely complement the author, point out where you agree and then tactfully share where you disagree
I think these are great guidelines for novice - advanced commenters.
Another issue Cool Cat Teacher touched on was what she termed Darth Vador comments. I had wondered how bloggers handle unpleasant comments and I like the advice she gave.
- Delete the unkind comment
- Never look back
I feel this is a valuable lesson to learn because everyone who blogs will at some point encounter "Darth Vador." Its important to understand that when faced with mean spirited comments you're not obligated to post them. And its even more important to not become discouraged by such comments but shake it off and stay true to your vision and reasons for creating the blog.
7 Blogs I'll be following & commenting on my Journey Through 23 Things
I commented on this great blog title! My maiden name is McDonough and for years my brother has added "mc" to everything he can to make it sound personalized. I wanted to share with Cindy that her title struck a sweet note in my heart. :)
2. C. Sensing
Carla shared a great strategy of using blogs for show and tell. I commented to share what an awesome idea this is and that I like that by using blogs like this the students don't have to bring items to school.
4. Dean's Blog
Dean shared a hilarious app for Thing #2. Its called Blabberize. You get to upload a picture, highlight the mouth which will give it animation and then record a clip to attach with it. Dean's blabber is a talking monkey and is a riot. How cool would it be to introduce vocabulary words with a talking monkey!
5. David's APSU Blog
David created a sweet graphic on imagechef. It is a musical note composed of music vocabulary. I commented on his cool idea to have his students expand on his image to create their own and build a visually stimulating world wall.
Blogs not part of Learning 2.0 / 23 Things Learning Community
6. Mental Floss
Ah Mental Floss "where knowledge junkies get their fix"! I have subscribed to this magazine for years and am now happy be following their blog as well. :)
7. Maurice Elias
This blog is located on the Edutopia site. I decided to follow it because he frequently writes about social and emotional learning. One of my term papers this semester will be on emotional intelligence so I figured his blog would help me gather some background knowledge on the subject.
Thing #3
In kindergarten I think a class blog would be a great way to embed journal writing into daily activities. The end of the day, while waiting for dismissal, would be a perfect time to review the events of the day. Students could work in groups to decide on one important thing that happened during the day. They would then share their thought with the class and why they decided it should go on the blog. The ease of blogging allows me to immediately type their responses. By the time students arrive at home the recap of the day is already posted online. Parents would no longer have to settle for an ambiguous answer after asking their child what they did at school today. The blog would keep parents updated and promote conversation at home about the happenings of the school day, which can greatly enhance student comprehension!
Another way blogs could be used in my classroom and throughout the school is to track student progress toward book clubs. There were many different book clubs at my previous school, Century Club, Caldecott Club, TN Volunteer Club, etc. Previously students kept track of the books they read for each club on a paper log, blogs could easily replace these logs. In younger grades teachers could encourage parents to help their child set up a Book Club Blog but in older grades students could be taught to manage their own. Book Club Blogs would greatly enhance this program as students could provide their responses to the books they've read as well as links to sites that are relative to the books. I think a program like this would create a rich community of book lovers within a school that would encourage students to continue book clubs throughout life.
Thing #2
I decided to title my blog "Molly's Journey Through 23 Things" because I feel like this assignment will be a fun adventure. I like discovering new technologies and learning to apply them in my personal life and in the classroom.
Creating the blog was fairly simple and very entertaining. I really liked playing around with the template options, switching up themes and color schemes to personalize my blog. The format is self explanatory for the basics and I like that as I learn more there are new options I can explore to add some razzle-dazzle to the blog.
With the exception of a choice for curly hair, my avatar is pretty much a reflection of me in real life. Jackets and high heels are my fetish and I love to wear flowers in my hair. (I find faux flowers are best because I can use them again and again. :) My puppy Peter is my motivation to stay in shape though he looks quite different in real life.
I made my avatar to look like me because I wanted to express that it is truly me going through this Journey of 23 Things. It symbolizes that this tech adventure will become part of my teaching strategies rather than just another assignment checked off the to-do list.
With the exception of a choice for curly hair, my avatar is pretty much a reflection of me in real life. Jackets and high heels are my fetish and I love to wear flowers in my hair. (I find faux flowers are best because I can use them again and again. :) My puppy Peter is my motivation to stay in shape though he looks quite different in real life.
I made my avatar to look like me because I wanted to express that it is truly me going through this Journey of 23 Things. It symbolizes that this tech adventure will become part of my teaching strategies rather than just another assignment checked off the to-do list.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Thing #1
Life Long Learning
Life long learning is something to be cherished and when I consider people I view as life long learners teachers stand out in my mind. I'm always looking for ways to become a more effective and fun teacher and I think my journey through 23 Things is going to do just that.
I enjoyed discovering the 7 1/2 habits of life long learners. As I watched the powerpoint it was interesting to think about how I have applied the habits in the past and comforting to know that I even possessed some of these habits! I think the habit that will be easiest for me to take on is #6 Use Technology to Your Advantage. I love discovering new ways to incorporate technology into my life. Whether it be for work or play I like staying in tune with tech developments. Often times I've found that technology that begins as entertainment for me can be modified and used in my classroom, which makes the day fun for both the students and me!
Habit #3 View Problems as Challenges is definitely going to be the hardest for me to adopt. I like a general sense of routine and when I map out a plan in my mind I like for it to unfold as such. However, this is rarely the case and the bigger the curve balls that are thrown my way the more difficult it is for me to remain calm. I have a tendency to become a worrier and it is something I work on everyday. I know that no one ever so much as gained an inch from worrying but for some reason it remains a constant battle for me. It is something that I want to improve about myself and tackling it through this journey may just be what it takes for me to overcome this worrying frame of mind. I will try everyday to view my problems as challenges...in fact I'm going to write it on a sticky note and put it on my computer as a daily reminder. :)
I think the most important habit for me to work on through my 23 Thing journey is #4 Have Confidence in Yourself as a Competent, Effective Learner. With pending due dates, papers to write, chapters to read and wanting to maintain a healthy personal life it is easy to become overwhelmed with balancing school work and life. Reminding myself that I am competent and effective will help me to build confidence in completing quality assignments and still having time to engage in activities besides school work. Building success with this habit will transfer to each of the other habits which is why I feel its the most important for me to work on. A confident, positive attitude about learning is a healthy state of mind.
Life long learning is something to be cherished and when I consider people I view as life long learners teachers stand out in my mind. I'm always looking for ways to become a more effective and fun teacher and I think my journey through 23 Things is going to do just that.
I enjoyed discovering the 7 1/2 habits of life long learners. As I watched the powerpoint it was interesting to think about how I have applied the habits in the past and comforting to know that I even possessed some of these habits! I think the habit that will be easiest for me to take on is #6 Use Technology to Your Advantage. I love discovering new ways to incorporate technology into my life. Whether it be for work or play I like staying in tune with tech developments. Often times I've found that technology that begins as entertainment for me can be modified and used in my classroom, which makes the day fun for both the students and me!
Habit #3 View Problems as Challenges is definitely going to be the hardest for me to adopt. I like a general sense of routine and when I map out a plan in my mind I like for it to unfold as such. However, this is rarely the case and the bigger the curve balls that are thrown my way the more difficult it is for me to remain calm. I have a tendency to become a worrier and it is something I work on everyday. I know that no one ever so much as gained an inch from worrying but for some reason it remains a constant battle for me. It is something that I want to improve about myself and tackling it through this journey may just be what it takes for me to overcome this worrying frame of mind. I will try everyday to view my problems as challenges...in fact I'm going to write it on a sticky note and put it on my computer as a daily reminder. :)
I think the most important habit for me to work on through my 23 Thing journey is #4 Have Confidence in Yourself as a Competent, Effective Learner. With pending due dates, papers to write, chapters to read and wanting to maintain a healthy personal life it is easy to become overwhelmed with balancing school work and life. Reminding myself that I am competent and effective will help me to build confidence in completing quality assignments and still having time to engage in activities besides school work. Building success with this habit will transfer to each of the other habits which is why I feel its the most important for me to work on. A confident, positive attitude about learning is a healthy state of mind.
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