Thing #12

The two Google tools that I really like and could really see myself using in the classroom are: Google Alerts and Google translate. For example, with google alerts I can get updates on current world events. If I was teaching about Italy I could receive updates on the Vatican and the process of selecting a new pope or on weather systems such as hurricanes or earthquakes. I am also very familiar and quite enjoy google translator. This has helped me with Spanish homework and if I had a student who was still learning English I could use this site to help me communicate more easily and translate homework and test directions to make some modifications to curriculum.

Thing #11

I've always found using google to be the easiest search engine to use. This is still a true statement after doing the research for this post. While this might be a case of teaching an old dog a new trick I'm just going to stick with what I know :) But it was still nice to see what other options are available to me! Technorati was the most confusing for me but I will definitely recommend it for others to try.

When I entered school library learning into Google I was overwhelmed with a plethora of blogs and information! This is such a blessing as a future educator. I don't believe in having too many options or too much information. There is always a new way to teach an old concept! I really don't use any other search feeds to find information so I'll have to research this further and broaden my horizons.

Thing #10

I really appreciate how easy it was to look up blogs that related to my interests. I was able to make a list of all of the blogs within the content area that I will be teaching. This is exciting because blogs are always being updated so it will help to keep me up to date on what I can teach my students :) This is also easy enough that students could use this for research projects.

Thing #9

These are just a few of the signs that I made that could be put in my classroom. The first one I used the happy face generator and I thought that would be a cuter way of displaying class rules that just having a boring list. And then I also made just another nerdy teacher sign on custom sign generator :) I know that if I display my excitement for what I'm teaching that it will eventually rub off on my students!

Thing #8

            

The site that I decided to use was Spell with Flikr. I can use this site to help jazz up presentations, make posters more interesting or to make fun flashcards. For young students they learn best when there is some type of visual interest and this site couldn't be more simple to use! As for how I feel about posting pictures online I believe that is a multifaceted answer. Many students will not have been taught how to be safe and responsible with what they post online. You never know when a future employer will find that "silly" or "dumb" picture you uploaded in high school and when it could cost you a job. 

Thing #7

This is probably going to be one of my favorite blogs. At first I was a little apprehensive about howI would be able to utilize Flikr in the classroom but now I seem that the possibilities are potentially endless. One of my big platforms as a future educator is to really teach students about the world outside of their town, state, and the U.S. With Flikr I can literally take my classroom across the world and expose them to numerous cultures. Coming from a VERY small town I know that many people don't have the opportunity to travel and this can help to instill biases and in a world of increasing interconnectedness that will only hamper them in their futures. I can also use this site to show different geography and cultural sites and students can explore areas around the world. Anther fun idea that I had for older students is to have the class set up their own Flikr group and they can upload pictures that relate to what is being covered in class to enhance their own learning. So in short, I am a Flikr convert :)

Thing #6

I found the tool PowToons. This tool can be used to easily create very visually interesting power points, videos and more. I really liked this because of the fact that it is so easy to use and it isn't very often that I find something so easy that can turn out so neat. This will definitely enhance student's experiences because of all of the visual interest to keep students involved with the lesson. This is also an easy tool for students to use to create their own presentations.

http://www.powtoon.com/

Thing #5

The mere concept of Web 2.0 is very radical to me and all of the implications, both positive and negative, on education and ultimately society as a whole. In the Web 2.0 Is the Future of Education blog I see a lot of the positive aspects. Web 2.0 offers many opportunities for diverse learning as well as education at your own pace. Also, it doesn't matter where you are as long as you have internet access so this can offer families quite a bit of flexibility in their schedules. One of my major concerns with this type if schooling is the aspect of socialization. While you can video conference that doesn't replace face to face human interactions. You can't live your entire life behind a computer screen.
The Horizons Report was more about incorporating more technology into the classroom. This I can agree with. Our world is rapidly becoming more and more modernized and intertwined with technology. Teaching students how to effectively use these tools can only help them further on in life. However, I don't believe that we can totally rely on these tools. We shouldn't lose the ability to do things on our own.
In short, I believe that School 2.0 means incorporating technology into the classroom and familiarizing students with how to properly utilize these tools. At the end of the day though I don't want for us to use technology as a crutch and forget how do math without a calculator, for example.

Thing #1

The hardest habit for me to master is using technology to my advantage. As previously noted I'm not technologically advanced. So the thought of utilizing technology on a regular basis in all honesty scares me. The easiest habit for me to use in my every day life though is, accepting responsibility for my own learning. Throughout my educational career I was home schooled. While my mom was very good about helping me and giving me direction, I still had to learn how to my own independent work. This especially paid off when I started doing dual-enrollment classes at a local community college. I felt much more prepared than many students who had gone to public school.

Thing #4

Commenting on blogs helps to develop a sense of community in the sense that it makes blogging more than just throwing thoughts onto a website. It becomes a conversation between you and other interested in the same things as you.  It can also help you to broaden your horizons and to develop new ideas and lenses through which to view the world. Some of the things that really stuck out to me from the readings is that there should be guidelines in how to comment. Always be respectful and courteous because whether you agree with the other person's opinion or not everyone deserves the right to have their opinion respected. Also, rewarding good comments help to facilitate more commenting on your blog, therefore giving you more ideas.
The seven blogs that I will be commenting on are: Daniel Bunger, Mallory Johnson, Kelina Stanley, Autumn Kirkland, Lesley Wallace, Richard Byrne "Free Technology for Teachers" and "Study Skills Blog"

The reason I decided to comment on these blogs in particular is that I know most of these individuals and that they represent a broad area of interest and I believe that I will really be able to gain quite a bit of useful information from them all.

One example of a comment that I made was on Richard Byrne's blog. In this particular entry he was discussing the important of going outside the box in terms of incorporating technology into the classroom. I commented that I completely agreed and that as educators and future educators we cannot expect above average results without above average effort and creativity.

Thing #3

There are so many ways that blogs can be useful as a teacher! One way is that they're great for sharing ideas amongst your fellow teachers. You can share lesson plans, teaching strategies or new activities. Blogs are also a great way to keep in contact with students about projects and updating assignments. They are also an easy way to keep parents updated on what their children are learning and what will be coming up in the classroom. You can make it like a weekly or bi-weekly newsletter update. As we know the better the communication between the teachers and the homes of the students the better that chance that they will be successful in your class.