What were your favorite discoveries or exercises on this learning journey? I enjoyed setting up the RSS's and getting more news than I can shake a stick at. I also liked the web 2.0 award winners. I found lots of that stuff amusing and very useful, although in a personal way.
How has this program assisted or affected your lifelong learning goals? Yes, in this aspect. I realized in the last year or so that there have been so many new things going on that I had no clue about, so I am thankful to get an opportunity to learn these things and get credit for them.
Were there any take-a-ways or unexpected outcomes from this program that surprised you?
I wasn't really surprised by any of the simplicity of these things. I figured that much. I was surprised at the number of blogs and people out there posting.
What could we do differently to improve upon this program’s format or concept? Not much. I found it very easy to use and help was there when I needed it.
If we offered another discovery program like this in the future, would you choose to participate? Yes
How would you describe your learning experience in ONE WORD or in ONE SENTENCE, so we could use your words to promote 23 Things learning activities? I learned 23 more things to do in the class and every day.
I enjoyed this and it didn't kill me. Thanks for making 18 hours of credit worthwhile and easy to get.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Thing #22: Nings
Now this is a site that I will use. Although my first glance at the topics list in the teachers' Ning made me feel like I was at a virtual teachers' happy hour and the locals were getting surly. Wow...but then I looked past that stuff, as I try to every year, and found some rather professional minded sites that caught my eye. I subscribed to one on classroom management, something all teachers can always improve on, so we'll see how it turns out.
I love the idea, and it keeps me from having to deal with Technorati for now.
I'm changing my mind about blogging. I'm willing to read what others have to say in a professional atmosphere, as long as they're professional about it.
It would be very easy to set up one for school issues, make it available to teachers and students, and see how it goes. It could be a very good lesson in debate and persuasion. Gee, I sound like I want to teach LA again...No!!!!
I love the idea, and it keeps me from having to deal with Technorati for now.
I'm changing my mind about blogging. I'm willing to read what others have to say in a professional atmosphere, as long as they're professional about it.
It would be very easy to set up one for school issues, make it available to teachers and students, and see how it goes. It could be a very good lesson in debate and persuasion. Gee, I sound like I want to teach LA again...No!!!!
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Thing #21: The Thing that Almost Killed Me (and the wife)
This is becoming rather arduous. Maybe it's because I'm so close to being finished with my 23 things that my brain has turned to more mush. Here it is, 11:05 at night and I'm still trying to get my podcast video to show up on my blog...let me take care of other stuff first and maybe the solution will come to me...
My podcast experience is limited to "Wait Wait Don' Tell Me", the NPR comedy news show on Saturday mornings. If I miss it, I have a subscription through iTunes and get it later that day. With all the technology available today, everyone should be poscasting. I could even podcast myself to my students if I was absent. I'll have to try that sometime. It's an incredibly easy way to share information, and to really personalize it by making videos.
I think I figured this out. If so, I shall celebrate with a bowl of cereal before bedtime. Here goes...
http://media.switchpod.com/users/aggiegooner/seashore1.wmv
My podcast experience is limited to "Wait Wait Don' Tell Me", the NPR comedy news show on Saturday mornings. If I miss it, I have a subscription through iTunes and get it later that day. With all the technology available today, everyone should be poscasting. I could even podcast myself to my students if I was absent. I'll have to try that sometime. It's an incredibly easy way to share information, and to really personalize it by making videos.
I think I figured this out. If so, I shall celebrate with a bowl of cereal before bedtime. Here goes...
http://media.switchpod.com/users/aggiegooner/seashore1.wmv
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Thing #20: YouTube and TeacherTube
I have been using online video in the classroom for a long time. As a former social studies teacher, online video saved my life a couple of times (also ended it on some days when the web wasn't cooperating) and made planning much easier. I remember having to request videos from a catalog and waiting a week or two from ITV to get it. So when United Streaming came along, I jumped on that train. One thing I learned out in Humble ISD last summer was to use MS movie maker to take only the segments that supported your lesson. My former teaching buddy and I downloaded all the videos we usually use and store them on our I drive at school. No more depending on the net.
I searched teacher tube for relevant reading videos, but there's a preponderance of elementary stuff there. I decided to use the Texas History video from UNT. Very cool, so I'll be an advocate for the site. Just hope my embedding works...
I searched teacher tube for relevant reading videos, but there's a preponderance of elementary stuff there. I decided to use the Texas History video from UNT. Very cool, so I'll be an advocate for the site. Just hope my embedding works...
Monday, July 28, 2008
Thing #19: Web 2.0 Awards
After checking out local eateries on Yelp, finding the wife's plane ticket to Norfolk on Farecast, looking at color palettes on the color place, I finally found a site I could use to create lesson plans appropriately called Backpack. This site would make it incredibly easy to collaborate on lesson plans with anyone else on the net. I usually tried to get people together over coffee or food to plan, but not everyone would show up, or family stuff would come up, whatever. This site puts my notes and ideas out there and people can add text, files, pictures, anything they have on their computers, right on to the page I created. It's very simple, and I'm going to give it a try ASAP.
Thing #18: Open Source Tools
I love it!! Anything that brings the power of computers to the masses for free. This needs to be plastered on billboards outside every store that sells computers. I hated the fact that Office Suite 2ooowhatever costs hundreds of dollars, when it should be part of the computer.
I also love the fact that on google, I can save stuff online and open it and use it anywhere. Apple has something like that, but it's a subscription service. Now we're getting somewhere. How much could the district have saved if we just went open source?
I also love the fact that on google, I can save stuff online and open it and use it anywhere. Apple has something like that, but it's a subscription service. Now we're getting somewhere. How much could the district have saved if we just went open source?
Thing #17: Rollyo
Alright, I think I got this right. Let me try my link first
http://rollyo.com/robiaa/my_center_left_news/
Hey Hey!! It worked. Excellent. Now I can finally finish this thing.
Liked Rollyo very much. Is it Roll-yo or is Rolly-o? Regardless, this would come in very handy for student research. Teachers could limit and veryify sources so much easier and keep the kids away from all that garbage out there. Is there a Rollyo for images, or is that Flickr? If anyone else out there knows of other news sites that start in the middle or stay in the middle, let me know.
http://rollyo.com/robiaa/my_center_left_news/
Hey Hey!! It worked. Excellent. Now I can finally finish this thing.
Liked Rollyo very much. Is it Roll-yo or is Rolly-o? Regardless, this would come in very handy for student research. Teachers could limit and veryify sources so much easier and keep the kids away from all that garbage out there. Is there a Rollyo for images, or is that Flickr? If anyone else out there knows of other news sites that start in the middle or stay in the middle, let me know.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Thing #16: Wikis
I always wondered what wikipedia meant, now I know. I like the ability to collaborate, but at the same time I don't like giving the power to erase/edit info to people. Like in the sandbox, I accidentally altered the person's post before mine. I didn't change the content just the font and size, but I still felt bad about it.
I can use this many ways, and since I'll be a part-timer, it might be an easy way for me to keep my students up on their reading assignments on the days I'm not on campus. For example, it they could get some computer time during advisory, they could get on our class wiki and update respond to an online journal topic or we could do dialectical journals online. All sorts of possibilities, but they would need to have access, and that is the whole issue with me now.
I can use this many ways, and since I'll be a part-timer, it might be an easy way for me to keep my students up on their reading assignments on the days I'm not on campus. For example, it they could get some computer time during advisory, they could get on our class wiki and update respond to an online journal topic or we could do dialectical journals online. All sorts of possibilities, but they would need to have access, and that is the whole issue with me now.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Thing #15: Library 2.0
I read the suggested reading. The two in the middle were all librarian jargon, so my eyes kind of glazed over, but I did appreciate the first and the fifth, I think the last one was "Ripple Effect".
The idea of Web and Library 2.o is fantastic, but my thoughts kept coming back to the kids of my school who do not even have internet yet. I would say maybe 25% of the kids have computers with internet access. So, our librarian and our teachers will be required to spend time teaching students how to navigate the web. I've noticed in the last two years that my students' collective computer skills have actually gone down. For them to get around in a 2.o world will be even more difficult. It might even turn into some form of technological culture shock where some just shut down and avoid the alien environment all together.
Aside from the Starbuck's, the students of my school would need access to all this wonderful stuff they can't get at home. I really wish the $100 laptop would become a reality, but then with all that access, we would also need some adult supervision and guidance, which is another issue in our neighborhood. Funding is always an issue, but maybe through some creative grant writing and, Heaven forgive me, corporate sponsorship, we could provide the physical tools for our kids to get into the 2.o world. It almost seems like another brick in the wall between our students and economic viability in this world. Almost like institutional racism.
"Well, you need to know how to do all this wonderful stuff on the internet to get this position."
"I don't have a computer to practice all the skills I need. My folks can't afford it."
"Sorry! Next!"
As much as it seems that the internet and all its greatness in the great equalizer giving access to information, there's still a population out there, and in my opinion, a big one, that still does not use or have access to computers on the internet. This is just like the early Christian church.
"The word of God, the Bible, is written Latin. Do YOU speak Latin? No? Sorry, you'll just have to believe what I tell you. Now get back to work."
The Martin Luthers out there (the $1oo laptop people, the free wifi in cities people) always seem to run into problems, don't they? It's no coincidence. Am I getting preachy in my blog?
I think this is where the school steps in. We can promote, provide, and the kids can produce, but we need forward looking people who know how to do all this stuff and apply it in classrooms.
I'm going to put that list in my post and challenge anybody who reads this particular post to cheaply come up with a way to get something on the list.
-A multitude of electronic databases and 23,000 cataloged eBooks
-MP3 players available for patron checkout with a new downloadable audiobook program in place for this fall
-Training on how and when to use Google™ versus other electronic sources
-52 computers on the technology island
-30 wireless laptop computers
-Digital motion and still cameras for student checkout
-Laptops for student checkout
-22 TVs that feature news and weather programs
-Cyber café with food and beverages (including Starbucks® coffee) (We could hire those out of work barristas)
Meetings with faculty each summer to review the library’s offerings
-Teacher-required usage of books, eBooks, ILL materials, databases and other library materials in courses
-Annual collection purchases that focus on selecting the most intriguing titles and materials
-Ariel® document delivery of all journal articles to desktops
I'm fired up! I'm mad as...No, wrong movie. Who's with me? Let's go!
The idea of Web and Library 2.o is fantastic, but my thoughts kept coming back to the kids of my school who do not even have internet yet. I would say maybe 25% of the kids have computers with internet access. So, our librarian and our teachers will be required to spend time teaching students how to navigate the web. I've noticed in the last two years that my students' collective computer skills have actually gone down. For them to get around in a 2.o world will be even more difficult. It might even turn into some form of technological culture shock where some just shut down and avoid the alien environment all together.
Aside from the Starbuck's, the students of my school would need access to all this wonderful stuff they can't get at home. I really wish the $100 laptop would become a reality, but then with all that access, we would also need some adult supervision and guidance, which is another issue in our neighborhood. Funding is always an issue, but maybe through some creative grant writing and, Heaven forgive me, corporate sponsorship, we could provide the physical tools for our kids to get into the 2.o world. It almost seems like another brick in the wall between our students and economic viability in this world. Almost like institutional racism.
"Well, you need to know how to do all this wonderful stuff on the internet to get this position."
"I don't have a computer to practice all the skills I need. My folks can't afford it."
"Sorry! Next!"
As much as it seems that the internet and all its greatness in the great equalizer giving access to information, there's still a population out there, and in my opinion, a big one, that still does not use or have access to computers on the internet. This is just like the early Christian church.
"The word of God, the Bible, is written Latin. Do YOU speak Latin? No? Sorry, you'll just have to believe what I tell you. Now get back to work."
The Martin Luthers out there (the $1oo laptop people, the free wifi in cities people) always seem to run into problems, don't they? It's no coincidence. Am I getting preachy in my blog?
I think this is where the school steps in. We can promote, provide, and the kids can produce, but we need forward looking people who know how to do all this stuff and apply it in classrooms.
I'm going to put that list in my post and challenge anybody who reads this particular post to cheaply come up with a way to get something on the list.
-A multitude of electronic databases and 23,000 cataloged eBooks
-MP3 players available for patron checkout with a new downloadable audiobook program in place for this fall
-Training on how and when to use Google™ versus other electronic sources
-52 computers on the technology island
-30 wireless laptop computers
-Digital motion and still cameras for student checkout
-Laptops for student checkout
-22 TVs that feature news and weather programs
-Cyber café with food and beverages (including Starbucks® coffee) (We could hire those out of work barristas)
Meetings with faculty each summer to review the library’s offerings
-Teacher-required usage of books, eBooks, ILL materials, databases and other library materials in courses
-Annual collection purchases that focus on selecting the most intriguing titles and materials
-Ariel® document delivery of all journal articles to desktops
I'm fired up! I'm mad as...No, wrong movie. Who's with me? Let's go!
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Thing #14: Techno-whati?
I think I understand this, but I found the site a little confusing to get around. It's funny, in my younger days (like I'm so old, but I will be 40 this year), I would just push buttons or start assembling until I figured something out. Now, I read the whole instruction manual before I even start, like it says to do. This Technorati place didn't come with that, so let me bounce my gist of this thing of you and tell me if I'm even in the same universe.
On the site I can keyword search different blogs. For example, If I'm trying to see if my favorite Arsenal stiker, Emanuel Adabayor, was rumored to be leaving the team, I could search his name on Technorati and it would give me every instance of the name on all the blogs that it has indexed...right? Isn't that just like googling somebody or something? But the search is limited to blogs, no? Which means I'll have a smaller pool from which to gather information. If this is the case, I'd rather just google.
Now, in terms of research, Technorati might be good if one is trying to find information that supports one's thesis. Technorati would make things very easy to do that if someone was looking for opinions of people in the fields they were reseaching. This raises a question that I have about conducting research using blogs: Are the opinions of any Jean, Joe, or Jose out there in the world credible enough for research? It seems like it would be way too easy to find a bunch of people who feel like I do, and I could quote them to death and make any point I'd like make with them as my source.
Anyway, I couldn't figure out how to search tags or keyword searches for School Library learning 2.0. I'll come back to it and try it again.
On the site I can keyword search different blogs. For example, If I'm trying to see if my favorite Arsenal stiker, Emanuel Adabayor, was rumored to be leaving the team, I could search his name on Technorati and it would give me every instance of the name on all the blogs that it has indexed...right? Isn't that just like googling somebody or something? But the search is limited to blogs, no? Which means I'll have a smaller pool from which to gather information. If this is the case, I'd rather just google.
Now, in terms of research, Technorati might be good if one is trying to find information that supports one's thesis. Technorati would make things very easy to do that if someone was looking for opinions of people in the fields they were reseaching. This raises a question that I have about conducting research using blogs: Are the opinions of any Jean, Joe, or Jose out there in the world credible enough for research? It seems like it would be way too easy to find a bunch of people who feel like I do, and I could quote them to death and make any point I'd like make with them as my source.
Anyway, I couldn't figure out how to search tags or keyword searches for School Library learning 2.0. I'll come back to it and try it again.
Thing #13: Social Bookmarking
When I first encountered Delicious about two years ago, I thought it was just a way of collecting popular sites, which I guess it is (duh), but the tagging adds a completely new dimension to it. I like the fact I can click on others' tags and find stuff they have marked and instantly make it mine. I also like the fact that I can use it on different computers, but now I have to remember another password. This can really make doing research much easier with the tags. Checking out keywords and coming up with tons of stuff to browse through. If only I can convince students that they need to read when they do research...However, using these tags reminds me of "Back to School" with Rodney Dangerfield. His son and his roommate want to buy used books because the books' important information is already hilighted. Rodney tells his son, "What if they person who owned that book before you was an idiot?" Like all things on the web, I'll have to check it out myself to see if it's any good.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Thing#12: Commenting on blogs
I've always avoided blogs because certain members of my family like to email me blog stuff thinking it's the gospel. Blogs, especially political blogs, always made me very weary of the writer's objectivity, which is something I try to be faithful to. So, especially these days (election year), I continue to stay away from political blogs.
Professional blogs are something that I really haven't given much attention to until thing 12. I see the value and see the potential for immediate feedback which everyone loves. I'm sure it would be possible to find an edu-blog about any idea or subject I would need help with.
One thing that I did notice while reading all these sites on blogging was avoiding "preachyness".
I guess the blogs that I have read were heavy into the preachyness which really turned me off, especially if I disagreed. It'll be important to remember to be professional when I respond to blogs and to be polite, and to make sure I have something worthwhile to say.
Professional blogs are something that I really haven't given much attention to until thing 12. I see the value and see the potential for immediate feedback which everyone loves. I'm sure it would be possible to find an edu-blog about any idea or subject I would need help with.
One thing that I did notice while reading all these sites on blogging was avoiding "preachyness".
I guess the blogs that I have read were heavy into the preachyness which really turned me off, especially if I disagreed. It'll be important to remember to be professional when I respond to blogs and to be polite, and to make sure I have something worthwhile to say.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Thing #11: Library Thingy
This website will probably save my life this year. I'm going back to teaching reading, but I haven't read any YA stuff in years. Hopefully this will site will give me an idea on how to direct my stronger readers and help me catch my slackers, unless they've found this website or another one like it.
I look forward to having some time to myself to participate in the discussions, especially since I won't be able to participate in the social studies book studies.
I look forward to having some time to myself to participate in the discussions, especially since I won't be able to participate in the social studies book studies.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Thing #10: Image Generator
Finally had a minute to sit down and get some more work in. This was another 10 minute deal that turned into an hour. Maybe I'm just not disciplined enough. Like that's news to me...
Anyway, lots of fun with this. I chose to not make fun of a certain head of state (Angela what's-her-face yeah right!), and chose to make Magic cards instead. Loved the trading card maker. The format is from a trading card game I was addicted to back in the early 90's. I can see this being used for characters in books or for satire. It would also be good for kids' personal stats like books read, or GPA, stuff like that. It'd be cute. Here's a link to some Bush administration Magic cards that I didn't create, but they're quite amusing.
Anyway, lots of fun with this. I chose to not make fun of a certain head of state (Angela what's-her-face yeah right!), and chose to make Magic cards instead. Loved the trading card maker. The format is from a trading card game I was addicted to back in the early 90's. I can see this being used for characters in books or for satire. It would also be good for kids' personal stats like books read, or GPA, stuff like that. It'd be cute. Here's a link to some Bush administration Magic cards that I didn't create, but they're quite amusing.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Thing #9: Useful Library Blogs and News Feeds
As it turned out, The RSS's (R.O.U.S.'s?) loaded me up with lots of news.
I was able to narrow it down some with the sites listed. However, some of these places were very confusing. I found the Google one easy to use, as is almost all the Google stuff. I think those guys put much thought into what they do before the put it out there, unlike MS.
The topix site was also pretty easy to use. I guess it used cookies on my computer to figure out I live in Cypress, and it gave me local blogs. I found out a bank was robbed in Cypress and some lady and her family saw 5 bright lights flying across the sky early morning July 5. The people responsible commented and explained how they did it.
I chose to search for blogs on teaching low SES kids and sure enough I found some. I'm looking forward to reading them.
I was able to narrow it down some with the sites listed. However, some of these places were very confusing. I found the Google one easy to use, as is almost all the Google stuff. I think those guys put much thought into what they do before the put it out there, unlike MS.
The topix site was also pretty easy to use. I guess it used cookies on my computer to figure out I live in Cypress, and it gave me local blogs. I found out a bank was robbed in Cypress and some lady and her family saw 5 bright lights flying across the sky early morning July 5. The people responsible commented and explained how they did it.
I chose to search for blogs on teaching low SES kids and sure enough I found some. I'm looking forward to reading them.
Thing #8: RSS
I always wondered what RSS was for. I started seeing it and figured it had something to do with iPods, so I never messed with it since I'm pretty anti-iPod. Now that I know what they're all about, I'll have to be very careful with them. Just putting these five feeds on my reader gave me more than 50 items to pour over. I'm a news junkie to begin with, but this will make it worse now that I don't have to go looking for it.
Now I can keep up with current events and follow my soccer team in England all in one place. Definitely a time saver.
Libraries could teach RSS feeds to students so they could gather information for research. I guess students would need a Google account. I don't know what district policy is about that...
Now I can keep up with current events and follow my soccer team in England all in one place. Definitely a time saver.
Libraries could teach RSS feeds to students so they could gather information for research. I guess students would need a Google account. I don't know what district policy is about that...
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Thing #7: Google Tools
It has been a while since I paid any attention to anything beyond the search box on Google. Fun useful stuff I wish I knew about when I had my Soc. St. kids conducting research on the web. The notebook is incredibly useful. I'm constantly cutting and pasting info from one site to Word or to xcel. Now I can just open my notebook and put it right there. No flipping back and forth anymore. I started looking into next summer's vacations: Tickets to Honolulu 969 Bucks! Ouch!!
Next, I set up alerts. I thought about a calendar, but I didn't want to let the whole world know what were up to, so I decided to keep up with current events and English football, and reading minilessons.
Next, I set up alerts. I thought about a calendar, but I didn't want to let the whole world know what were up to, so I decided to keep up with current events and English football, and reading minilessons.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Thing #6: Mashups
Hey all,
The Mashups are great. This stuff makes me want to teach social studies again, but I can see lots of possiblities with reading as well. The trading cards would be good biography assignments for the kids at the beginning of the year. The Movie posters would make good book report covers.
On Mappr, if the students were reading books that involved traveling or really well written settings, they could map out timelines of travels or use Flickr to get a better idea of what the setting looks like. All sorts of stuff. I'm excited.
The Mashups are great. This stuff makes me want to teach social studies again, but I can see lots of possiblities with reading as well. The trading cards would be good biography assignments for the kids at the beginning of the year. The Movie posters would make good book report covers.
On Mappr, if the students were reading books that involved traveling or really well written settings, they could map out timelines of travels or use Flickr to get a better idea of what the setting looks like. All sorts of stuff. I'm excited.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Thing 5: Flickr
Howdy,
After a long hiatus from 23 things, I've been enjoying my summer of to-do lists and family vacations, I've finally wasted an hour combing through Flickr. Not that I haven't wasted any of my seemingly countless other hours this summer, but I found it slightly agrivating killing an hour looking at photos when I was supposed to be doing school stuff. I did have some ideas for using flickr in the classroom. Students could use it to find theme ideas in their books, or to find groups that might have been created for books. I'll see if any exist before I give that assignment. I enjoyed trying to follow the threads of thinking while I browsed the pictures. A friend is in town for a wedding and so I got wrapped up in the pics from a Jewish wedding. I almost felt like I was invited. Mazeltov!
draft
After a long hiatus from 23 things, I've been enjoying my summer of to-do lists and family vacations, I've finally wasted an hour combing through Flickr. Not that I haven't wasted any of my seemingly countless other hours this summer, but I found it slightly agrivating killing an hour looking at photos when I was supposed to be doing school stuff. I did have some ideas for using flickr in the classroom. Students could use it to find theme ideas in their books, or to find groups that might have been created for books. I'll see if any exist before I give that assignment. I enjoyed trying to follow the threads of thinking while I browsed the pictures. A friend is in town for a wedding and so I got wrapped up in the pics from a Jewish wedding. I almost felt like I was invited. Mazeltov!
draft
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Being Responsible for my learning
Since my wife and I work for the same district, we cover for each other for after school inservices or weekend classes. However, more times than not, I'm not willing to give up time with my family. It's just a great deal of work to take care of two kids, a three-year-old and a five- month-old, get dinner ready, prepare for the next day's lessons, and get lunches ready for the next day. I'd feel guilty sitting in a class after school knowing what's going on at my house, so learning at this moment in life is all about my wife and kids.
Problems as challenges
I like to be a problem solver. The Winston Wolf of the school, if you know who that is.
If not, you might know Geoffrey Rush's character in Elizabeth. Whatever needs doing gets done. Just not as diabolical. I like being able to see through the dilemma, or troubleshooting a situation.
It's a skill that comes in handy raising kids.
If not, you might know Geoffrey Rush's character in Elizabeth. Whatever needs doing gets done. Just not as diabolical. I like being able to see through the dilemma, or troubleshooting a situation.
It's a skill that comes in handy raising kids.
Monday, June 9, 2008
test...test...1, 2, 1, 2
This always seemed like an appropriate thing to say into a mic, and what bigger mic than the internet. Howdy all. How am I doing so far...?
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