The FINAL Thing!!!

I'm finished with APSU 23 Things! My favorite discoveries about this was the Mash-ups, TeacherPop, and the Animoto. Anything that had to do with being creative was my favorite. I would like to take a lot of the things that I learned in this class to use when I become a teacher. They were all helpful in some way or another. For the most part, these "things" were interesting, helpful, and fun. There were some of the "things" that I already knew about (Facebook, Flickr, etc.) but it didn't hurt to review them again. It is really interesting to know that some things that could be considered recreational can be used for learning!

Thing #23 - Creative Commons

It is a good thing that teachers know about Copy Right laws. It is only fair to be respectful to other people's creative works. I would love to use this information for my future teaching career. However, I feel that I need to know a little more about it before I try to use anything. I would never want to go against the law. Maybe a little more research is needed for my knowledge and security in this area.

Thing #22 - Podcasts

http://www.epnweb.org/player.php?podshow=http://room312.podbean.com/mf/feed/66h/Room312-ThereTheirTheyreLive1.m4a&podcast=Room 312 - A View into the Vortex&program=Room 312 - There, Their, They’re (Live!)

Here is this link to the Podcast that I found interesting and useful. I found this one on Educational Podcast Directory. I thought it was the easiest to use because it had several different categories. Also, all of the podcasts were made for educational purposes. For right now, I'm not really interested in podcasts. But, maybe when I being my teaching career I can become more interested. I really like the Room 312 podcasts and would like to subscribe to them.

Thing #21 - Animoto

http://


I've never used this website before, nor have I ever heard of it until this assignment. I really loved using this website and making my video. It was so simple. I also liked that there was a rather large selection of music to choose from. I knew almost all of the songs under the Christian/Gospel category. I smiled once I watched my video. (what a dork!) This experience was really fun!

Thing #20 - YouTube

I've been acquainted with YouTube for quite a while. I really like this website. You can find almost anything for informational purposes, entertainment purposes, and more. The video I chose to share is about Web 2.0. It is a really short video clip, but it shows how the web has advanced from what we've previously had to work with. It's a really cute video. I think this site could work for any kind of setting as long as it is used appropriately.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bc0oDIEbYFc

Thing #19

I am a member of Facebook, which is a popular social network. However, I'm a member of TeacherPop from the Ning social networking site, as well. In my APSU 1000 class, we had to create a TeacherPop account. I think TeacherPop is a good idea because everyone who is your friend is involved in Education in some way. It's a good way to get to know people who are interested in what you are wanting to do for your future career. I think I could definitely use TeacherPop later to keep up with other teachers that I know from Austin Peay. I could also use it to ask questions or get advice about teaching. Below is my TeacherPop page!


http://teacherpop.ning.com/profile/RachelLaurenMorris

Thing #18 - Facebook

I think it is important for teachers to know how to use a network like Facebook or Myspace. So many kids are on one or both of these networks and it is a big part of their lives. Teachers could be friends with their students on these networks and see what goes on in their daily lives outside of school (not in a stalker way, of course). Kids on these networks post their emotions, their activities, etc. If a student seems to be in a bad mood one day or if their grades start to slip, maybe the teacher could explore their page to see if they have talked about any problems in their lives. I have a Facebook and I really like it. It is such a good and easy way to keep up with my friends and family. Facebook shows you what everyone updates on one page so it is easy to keep up with people. I do not like Myspace because it is mostly consumed by middle school students and they start arguments with other people (my little sister is one of these). Facebook has the most useful features because it is just so easy. If you want to talk to someone, you just go to their page and it is all in the same place for everyone. The only thing I could see for school use is if a school or classroom actually had a Facebook page. They could post homework assignments, clubs and activities, etc.

Thing #17 - Del.icio.us

The Del.icio.us social networking website is a really interesting and neat idea. I can definitely see how this can be an asset to teachers and potential tool in schools. This tool can be such a huge benefit to any group of teachers. Being able to find and share websites is a great thing. This could possibly save time for teachers who need resources to make lesson plans for any subject. I think all teachers should take advantage of social networking websites.

Thing #16

I chose to use the Google start page. I like everything about Google, so I knew I would like this. I may make it my permanent home page, who knows? Google is so easy to use and gives plenty of great information.

Online calendars can be usful in many ways. Some can be linked to your e-mail or even to your phone. I like it because I'm always on my computer and it would be easier for me to remember to check it than a pocket planner or something like that.

I make To-Do Lists like no tomorrow. Because I have so much homework and other things to do, they help me stay organized. Personally, I would not like to use a to-do list online because I would rather have it in front of me. By having it in front of me, I can take it with me and immediately mark it off.

I think using an online calendar would be a good idea for students. I think it is important for students to learn organizational skills because it helps them stay focused. If students used an online calender, they would probably like the fact that it is online and also would stay prepared. I would probably suggest a calendar to others, as well.

Thing #15 - Wikis

Before this "thing," the only thing I knew about wikis was Wikipedia. After watching the cute little video, "Wikis in Plain English," I learned more about them along with the other discovery resources. I think a wiki would be a fun thing to use in the classroom with your students. You could have an assignment where students needed to find information about a certain topic and then each student could add information onto one wiki document. I thought it was interesting that you could use the wiki for something so simple as planning a camping trip. It's not just about publishing information on the internet. I can be really interactive if used that way.

Thing #14

For this "thing" I chose one mind map and one flow chart to explore.

The mind map that I chose is called bubbl.us... It is really "bubbly!" I like that it is easy to use. When you scroll your mouse over an icon, it tells you what it does on the right side in a bar. When you want to connect one bubble to another, it shows you how. Also, you can change the colors of your bubbles. I really like this application.

http://bubbl.us/

The flow chart that I chose to explore is called gliffy. This is more of a creative "start from scratch" application. You make the shapes, lines, colors, words, etc. It seems a little more difficult to make than the mind map, but it still seems pretty simple. I liked this one, as well, but I am leaning my favor towards the mind map.

http://www.gliffy.com

Thing #13 - Zoho Writer

I have never even heard of the Zoho Writer until this assignment. Honestly, I do not like it at all. It's a word processing tool; just as Microsoft Word is. I guess if someone did not have access to Micrsoft Word then this would be a helpful tool. However, I do not like it. It kept telling me that my document wasn't saved even after I had saved it after 5 times... It was quite a frustrating experience and I will not be using this tool anymore.

Thing #12

The two google tools I chose to further explore were google calendar and an iGoogle page. I like the google calendar because I am a very organized person and like to make sure everything that needs to get done, does and on time. I think this could be good for students because it could teach them organization. By being organized, students could be better focused on the things intheir lives, including school work. This could very well result in better grades. Also, I like the iGoogle page because you can customize it to your own style and likes. You get to choose the theme that you want and also what you want to be on the page, for example: news, music, etc. This could be a good tool for students to create so you could have them keep up with the news and current events.

http://www.google.com/ig?hl=en

http://www.google.com/calendar/render

Thing #11

The method of finding feeds that I found easiest to use was to research a broad topic like a city. The tool that I found easiest to navigate around was Topix.net. The other ones seemed really confusing to me. They all had a lot of writing and it was overwhelming when I looked at the other pages. I thought that it was way too much to put on a search engine type thing. Other ways to locate newsfeeds is to search a zip code, city, state, or well known news company (CBS, ABC, etc.).

Thing #10

What I like about RSS and newsreaders is that it makes it easier for people to keep up with things they want to know about. You can keep up with anything from news, weather, personal blogs, etc. I could use this in my personal life to keep up with my friend (who moved away) Elizabeth's blog that she has made. Teacher's can use RSS to subscribe to teaching/school related things that could provide help and ideas for lessons, etc. I think that RSS is a really cool way to stay informed.

Thing #9 - Image Generators

The image generator that I played around with was image chef. Everything I created was writing messages on different backgrounds. There were so many different things to do, I spent quite a bit of time figuring out which ones to do. It is really easy to use and fun, too! As I was making these, I mainly used my name for a lot of the things. Looking through all of the templates was fun. It gave examples of each before you even entered the application so you knew somewhat what it was going to look like. This could be a fun activity for students to practice spelling.

http://www.imagechef.com/

Here are some of the things that I created:

Thing #8 - Mashups

I used the Spell with Flickr mashup to spell my name. How cute! I am doing my 3040 project on 2nd grade spelling and this application would be a fun way to get students interested in spelling new words. Not only would they have fun, but they would learn, as well! I think sharing photos online (as long as they are appropriate) is a great thing! So many times I have googled images for various reasons. Also, I use to look up photos on Photobucket for different things. In high school, I was a member of Future Business Leaders of America and competed in Desktop Publishing. I was constantly having to find graphics for my assignments. I also used flickr to make a puzzle out of one of my senior prom pictures. Yes, it was two years ago but I still look the same; and yes, this is my boyfriend still today. :]

Thing #4 - Why Commenting is Important

Commenting is good for interaction in many ways. One way I discovered from the discovery resources are that bloggers just want to be heard. I never really thought about it that way because I've never blogged before until now, but it's so true. People want to know that their opinions matter and are heard/appreciated in some way. I like reading the comments that people send on my blog now! Also, I am a recently new member to Facebook and it is nice when people write to you.

There are some other points from the discovery resources that I found important. First, if you really want to get responses asking a question is one way to do so. Another thing I found important is that if you want to respond to someone's comment, but want to write a lot and make it really long then you should just create an entire blog for it. Last, I learned that saying nice and encouraging things is good because it can boost the blogger's self-esteem and make them feel good about themselves.


For this "thing" we had to choose five people from our 3040 class and comment on one of their blogs. Also, we were to choose two people from other 3040 classes and comment on one of their blogs as well. The reason I chose each person in my class was, honestly, because I had to. But, that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy reading them! Everyone's blog that I read from my 3040 class was unique and interesting in their own ways. I liked reading them all!

Here are the blogs I chose to comment on:

Lisa Elliott - Thing #5 (thinks students should have blog pals in other countries)
Jennifer Hardy - Thing #3 (thinks blogging is good for students to journal)
Sabrina Papesca - Thing #1 (relates to habit 7 1/2 the most)
Bridgett Ferguson - Thing #2 (loves to read)
Alyssa Dyce - Thing #2 (she has the cutest avatar)

I have two friends that update personal blogs via different websites. My friend Elizabeth has recently moved away and I look at her blog to keep up with the family.
http://theshepherdfamily.vox.com/

Also, my cousin has a blog of her family on a different website. It's really cool because I get to see the kids pictures as they grow, considering I only see them once a week at church.
http://morrisfamilymayhem.shutterfly.com/

For each person, I commented about something that they wrote about in their blogs. The thing that I commented about was always something that I liked, whether it was something they said or an avatar!

Flickr - Thing #7

As I explored Flickr, I chose the keyword "Flowers" because I love capturing pictures of flowers in all sorts of views and angles... it's beautiful! Exploring Flickr was super easy and fun. It was hard to choose just a couple of pictures.




I found a photo uploaded by 'JamesMarie2009' that was taken at the Chicago Botanical Gardens. This view of a poppy field is just breathtaking.




http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesmarie2009/3932033321/



I also found another image that literally made me gasp out loud when I saw it. It is so pretty and happens to be my favorite color (purple). This photo was uploaded by 'chrisk8800.' The description written under the photo says, "Fresh flowers packed in a box at a flowershop in Copenhagen." I love that it is a top view.


http://www.flickr.com/photos/26081675@N06/3932059093/

Picnik - Thing # 6

The site that I explored is Picnik.com. The main thing that I like about this site is that you don't have to register to use it. No signing in, no questionaire your first time, nothing! All you have to do is click "Get Started Now!" and you're ready to go. Sure, a lot of things like this are free on the internet, but usually you have to register with an e-mail address. Also, a lot of the time the site will just send you unwanted junk e-mails that you never read. I've never personally used this site until now, but my little sister uses it to edit her photos for facebook and myspace. It makes the pictures look great! This site is very simple to use. Everything is right there in your face on the screen in big letters so there is really no way you can go wrong! I can see this beneficial to a classroom setting in one very cool way. After you've uploaded some pictures onto the site, you can click on the library tab at the top and create a collage. This would be a very fun and creative art project that I'm sure any student would love to do! I've just recently gotten a facebook so I'm definitely going to start using this site, it's great!


http://www.picnik.com/

Web 2.0 - Thing #5

What does "School 2.0" mean to me?

-I understand "School 2.0" as the new phase of the internet that is easy access for anyone. Today anyone can get online and easily figure out how to blog and communicate back and forth with one another about anything they wish. Now, people can educationally network with each other and blog about school, assignments, projects, homework, etc. on the internet with just a few clicks!

What does it mean for schools of the future?

-For future schools, Web 2.0 could be used for many things! Today, we have 21st century classrooms emerging in many schools and it's growing fast. This helps teachers to move beyond lecturing and gets them interacting with the students on various levels. Also, teachers and students could set up blogs like this one to discuss topics in the classroom. Maybe instead of book work for homework some nights students could blog about their opinions on the topic. I know that I would much rather get on the internet (which is considered fun for most kids and teenagers) to do homework rather than stare at questions in a book. This would be a great way for receiving feedback from the students to see how much they've really learned!

Thing #2

I decided to use my real name for my blog title and posting name. I just wanted it to be simple and me. This blog was quite simple for me to create. This is because I took several computer classes in high school and continue to work with computers everyday. The avatar that I have created is as close of a reflection of myself that I could make. The style for her is just a simple solid colored shirt (purple, because it's my favorite color) and some sleek black pants. This type outfit is suitable for most any occasion and that's how I like to dress. As I said before, I wanted my blog name, posting name, and avatar to reflect exactly who I am.

Lifelong Learning Habits - Thing #1

I would have to say for me that the easiest lifelong habits would have to be habit seven and seven and a half. I work as a tutor at the Advantage Learning Center in Clarksville and it seems to come pretty naturally to me. I love to help others out and see the success that I can instill in them. Also, I love to play games and have fun while learning.

On the other hand, I think I may have difficulty with habit number four. Sometimes it is hard for me to have confidence in myself. I seem to get so easily discouraged at times. Until I am positive that whatever I am doing is going to be a success, I may have doubt.

Learning how to use the Web 2.0 tools hasn't been difficult for me at all. I took several computer/business classes in high school and am proficient in such things. I usually am quite good with technology and I figured this website within minutes. I like doing things on computers and the internet so this blog has been a cool thing for me to get to do.

Becoming a Teacher thus far...

Hey everyone! I'm Rachel Lauren Morris and I am a sophomore at Austin Peay this year. Even though I have only taken a few of my education classes this far in my schooling, I am really enjoying it! I have always had a passion for working with younger children. I can't wait to see what my future career in teaching holds for me.