Sunday, July 6, 2008

Thing 23 - Fin

Some of my best discoveries were de.licio.us, flickr, wikis, and Google everything. It was very helpful that we were required to get actively involved in most of the things. This helped me learn at a deeper level. Also documenting each activity helped me reflect on my experiences. My blog contains all my information and my creations and I can share it with others.

Even though I may not benefit from each Thing, it was good to be exposed to them. I would not eliminate any of the Things. In the future I would participate again but it would need to be over the summer and for a long period of time.

This learning experience was the best professional development I've taken in many years.

Thing 22 - NIng

Checked out Ning and was not really impressed at this time. I searched for a group of Technology Teachers. Found a few things but nothing that I can use at this time. I can check back soon and see what else is out there.

Thing 21 - Podcasts

Downloaded Photo Story (after logging into "home"). Upon logging back into my usual login, this software was nowhere to be found. This is the 3rd time I've had to log in to "home" to download something for this course and I never had this problem. So after all these problems, my PhotoStory is not very fancy. Just went in and played with it briefly.

Thing 20 - YouTube, TeacherTube

So glad to see TeacherTube. I've posted family videos on YouTube but feel that 80% of the stuff on YouTube is absolute garbage. Teens using a cellphone to video a friend doing something inappropriate/illegal. Or I see people who finally own their first video camera and feel a need to post a video of popcorn popping on the stove top. The district SHOULD continue to block YouTube but I hope that the controls on TeacherTube are tight enough to keep it "pure".

Below is a video I plan on showing my students in the fall when we start Photography.

Saturday, July 5, 2008

Thing 19 - Web 2.0 Award List

I visited many of these sites. It is nice to know that sites are being recognized in these different areas. I need to check it each year to see what is new out there. I found a new travel site called Farecast (beta version)that is similar to orbitz and priceline. A cool, new feature they have is that it shows a graph of the price of an airline ticket in the future. It could help you determine the cheapest time of the month to travel.

Thing 18 - On-line Productivity Tools

I have known about Open Office for awhile. I don't have a personal use for this but I know several people that could benefit from Open Office. I also need to share this with students that may not have the Office Suite at home.

This would be great for people buying macs. Since Office for Mac costs over $100 this would be a great alternative.

Thing 17 - Rollyo

I saw some value in this one but it took me awhile to wrap and rollyo my mind around this one. I decided to visit some other player's blogs to see what insight I could learn. I created a Searchroll that I thought I could use in my Multimedia class. Upon testing it, I determined that it would not work the way I wanted it. So, I deleted it.

Upon playing around, I found a great Rollyo already created that I can use to solve some of my school/computer problems.

During the school year, I'll find a good time/place to come back to Rollyo.

Thing 16 - Wikis

Wikis are a great idea but you need to remember that there is a time and place for one. Since it becomes modifiable by all (unless set as private) so beware. At this time, I have an idea for a wiki for a personal use to collaborate the plans for a trip.

Friday, July 4, 2008

Thing 15 - Library 2.0

The video was quite interesting. I had my husband watch it and we discussed it. Initially, I was in favor of the students, wanting more technology and less human interaction and lecture. However, speech is the most important form of communication. As a mother, what did I encourage my young children to do - speak, ask questions and listen to me do the same. It is only after a strong background in speech can we become proficient in reading and writing (working with technology).

Question: Will colleges always teach through lectures? Could technology someday replace lectures COMPLETELY???!!! (I hope not - Am I too old and small-minded??)

Library 2.0 is doing a great job keeping the on-line library more accessible and up-to-date. What a difficult job! These guys MUST think outside the box!

Thing 14 - Technorati

I enjoyed watching the video of the employees at Technorati. It takes a special talent to think out of the box and create things like Technorati, del.icio.us, and all the Google applications. I still haven't found the niche to be big blogger but it's nice to know that Technorati is there if I need it. Tagging in del.icio.us is quite a helpful tool. I've shared del.icio.us with several other people and plan to teach my Multimedia students it's value.

Thursday, July 3, 2008

Thing 13 del.icio.us

This is mighty tasty! The capability to see what others have tagged (on a similar topic) is powerful. It is easy to get hooked and spend HOURS doing "research". As a Tech Apps teacher, I will be able to do research on a topic from any computer and then view the information on my teaching computer. I think this should be taught to my Multimedia students.

Thing 11 - Library Thing


I think this website is really good and helpful. At this time, I don't think I'll get actively involved. I did not check out any of the groups.