One Last Thing - Summary

I have ALREADY tagged Learning 2.1 in Delicious. That is a whole new learning piece. Wow.

1. LEARNING ACTIVITY FEEDBACK:

1. Favorite discoveries--I don't know which one is the most favorite. I learned so many. Delicious will probably be the most beneficial. Flickr will be a definite beneficial. Learning how to insert links will be very beneficial. The list goes on and on.
2. Affect on lifelong learning goals--never ending. Technology is there use it!
3. There were many surprises--I call them Ah Ha moments.
4. The program is great. I have been known to take classes a second time for a refresher and/or to acquire more than I acquired the first time.
5. Another discovery course in the future--sure!
6. Influence as a teacher or school librarian--not applicable. Other ways in education--for starters, I plan to make a Spreadsheet to track activity in my office.
7. Plan to keep up--tag in delicious and check frequently and/or RSS feed.

2. LEARNING ACTIVITY WHERE TO GO FROM HERE:

1. Resolution to use and keep up--journal will be one idea. Webinar--the first time I ever heard the word I was signing up to take one, but at the same time I had everyone on campus trying to help me find out what it was. I will be doing more Webinar sessions.
2. Blog would be a consideration.
3. Class notes--I never throw away notes. They make great reference material.
4. As I mentioned earlier Learning 2.1 is already on my radar.

Thanks for a job well done.

Thing #23 - Beyond MySpace: Other Social Networks

Brain Overload.....

Gather was not being nice. It wouldn't let me in.

Ning was not being nice either until I got into

Classroom 2.0

Wikipedia list of social network sites

These are the two I found most intriguing.

In Classroom 2.0 I found what I would call a higher education type of social networking. I was pretty impressed.

In Wikipedia the list was way more than I ever knew to be on the web. Wikipedia's explanation of Ning was interesting. I am usually very hot on the trail of unusual names trying to find their origin and/or purpose.

There were several groups that I will go back to and explore from time to time. I plan to be a bit more active in the group I belong to on Facebook.

As I browsed through links I was surprised to find things that someone had sent me before in random emails. I always wondered where they found all this stuff. Now I know.

Thing #22 - Explore Social Networking

I have a FacebookAccount, a Linkedin Account, and a Plaxo account.

I just got the Linkedin account and I have not explored it much. I have found friends on Plaxo that I had lost track of.

As for Facebook, I find that I can connect with my grandchildren through Facebook faster than I can through traditional email.

1. Educators need to be current so we are aware of the student's activities--good and bad.
2. Insights--"Kids say the darndest things" Kids post anything without thought or preamble to possible consequences.
3. Like or dislike--See #2.
4. Most useful features--Facebook seems to be the leader of the pack.
5. Educational application--the jury is still out on that one.

I am very guarded when I talk with the grandchildren. I try to write very carefully and very professionally. I do not want to write anything that could harm them in anyway.

I am even a member of a group that has informative features.

Thing #7b (7c) - Google Reader Revisited

One of the things that caught my eye was on CoolCatTeacher. The title of the blog was "She Dreamed a Dream: Modern Day Inspiration Susan Boyle." There was a challenge at the end of the blog "May we Never be too old nor too timid to live our dreams." I guess that caught my eye because I always told my children and my students something similar. One of the interesting things in the story of Susan Boyle is the fact that Simon Cowell lost some of his cynical, costic and as the article said acerbic attitude. He was speechless.

And of course I always gravitate to Flickr and their nature pictures and what could be more precious than Need I Say More!.

The nature pictures are superb. I could dwell there all day.

Thing #21 - Google's not just for searching anymore

I am already using Google Calendar - I prefer not to share since it has personal and family information. I set up one for today only if you want to see it.

I have my spring break pictures in Picasa Web Albums - I shared them with the people who went on the trip. There was a disclaimer that went with them - They are totally unabridged (sideways, not cropped, not lightened, no straightened, not corrected in anyway, some need to be tossed)--toooooooooo busy with 23 Things. I am not sure you would be interested. If you REALLY want to see them under those conditions I don't mind sharing.

Other things I explored look interesting and possibilities for the future--Google Alerts, iGoogle, Google Notebook.

Obviously the sky is the limit and I will have all my class notes for use when this class is over.

Thing #20 - Google Docs

Initial Experience - Elementary.

I use Word, Excel, Power Point, FileMaker Pro EXTENSIVELY. They are so much more advanced and detailed and I am so much more comfortable with using them. The bells and whistles are in a different location.

HOWEVER...

I can see the advantage of using Google Docs: (1) sharing capability--if nothing else between all MY computers rather than trying to remember which is the latest version of a document--GUILTY. (2) it would be tremendous in collaboration use--rather than emailing a document back and forth with both of you adding, deleting, correcting--GUILTY. (3) great for tracking progress as with the spreadsheet for 23 Things. I haven't had a need for this yet. However, I think I just had a brain storm for a possibility.

OOPS...

I guess I should spend some more time exploring the advantages and locating all the bells and whistles.

Thing #19 - Voicethread

After listening to the Voice Thread video. I could think of several good uses.

One definitely would be in the classroom when making a group project.

The one that came to my mind first was use with family when one or more members are separated from others by a great distance. This would be a great opportunity to share pictures with sound. When our very large family gets together the table talk/conversations range from serious to slap-stick. This would be difficult to share in written form, with those who are missing. WOW, Voicethread would be a great solution.

Then there is the lecture/conference/traiing with feed back that we are already beginning to see in the professional world.

Thing #18 - You too can YouTube

History of YouTube

Part 1: YouTube Scavenger Hunt
Education:
Blogs in Plain English--Earlier in this class
Wikis in Plain English--Earlier in this class

Educational Technology:
Shift happens: Educational (Technology) Reform - had seen it in Faculty Meetings and earlier in this class

How To tie a tie: The Full Windsor--First thing that poped up...

Just for Fun - I chose trains. Trains are a major fascination in our family.

Part 2: Explore Teacher Tube
Math Fairy - wouldn't work
The Origin of Slavery - Interesting
Learning with Technology - Didn't work
Encouraging Team Work - Good
Paper Planes and Aerodynamics - lacking

I could not get anything to link and/or embed. I tried several times. I even watched one YouTube on how to do that. So.

Also, I am not sure why we were suppossed to Include Thing 19 in our post! I am assuming that is a typo. If I need to fix something then please let me know.

Thing #17 - Podcasts: No iPod Needed!

Potential!
I listened to:
The Tech Teachers - interesting, answered some of my questions about Twitter
Teachers Teaching Teachers - unimpressed
The Math Factor Podcast - unimpressed
Dragonfly TV Podcast - unimpressed
http://historyonair.com/ - Life in Barcelona in 1908 - different; Conversation with History - Comical presentation of some facts.
I can see the potential in podcasting, but it would need to be well planned to be for value, in my opinion.

Thing #16 - Library Thing: Where Books Meet Web 2.0

Zeitgeist - more information than I knew what to do with

Groups - Not appealing to me

Search for Group - Much more appealing

50-Book Challenge - Interesting

Local - Interesting. I checked to see if they were correct. I didn't know that Balch Springs had a library. Learned something new.

Library Thing - I created one and I will be adding more books. Once again I have been keeping up with the books I have read and the books I want to read on a spreadsheet. This is better.

Thing #15 - Social Bookmarking and Tagging with Delicious

I am sure that all of us from time to time attempt to use something to the best of our knowledge and then one day we take a class and learn how to use it more efficiently, easier, etc. Then there is the AhHa moment when we really learn how to do it!

Well that is me and Delicious. I was keeping a copy of web sites in a spreadsheet because I had lost favorites before when my computer went south. A friend (a former 23 Thinger) mentioned Delicious. I sort of put it on the back burner, then my daughter mentioned Delicious that she had learned about for one of her classes in another school district. So I decided to try it out. My friend helped me to get started in a basic manner--it was great. Now as I take this class and learn more things I have had my AhHa moment and I am ready to take off running.

I chose to add some web sites that I have learned about in this class, and to re-tag some I already had. I finally got Firefox Tool Bar to work like it is supposed to do. Now I know how to add sites efficiently--I was going all around the house and then in the back door, now I just go in the front door with the greatest of ease.

Here is my delicious link: Delicious Class Link

Thing #7a - Google Reader revisited

Trying to get caught up with my Google Reader--lots of scanning found some interesting thing.
CoolCatTeacher seems to always be on top of everything--she says whether or not we admit it or not the classroom, students, parents are changing--itouch, iphone, etc.
CoolCatTeacher says there are four kinds of people--movers, disapprovers, provers, improvers. So the question is How do you roll?
In E-Learning Across my Desk Weekly by Julie Lindsay writes on How to create Survey Docs. She also writes about Technology. Both were very interesting.
There were several articles on Flat classroom: How we Roll. I need to chew on this for awhile longer.
Flikr has posted some very interesting and beautiful pictures. One was a hand holding a light bulb and written on the lightbulb was "Bright Ideas" Clever! One was a sunrise that appeared to be bursting the skys over an airport. There were several spring pictures--birds, animals, insects, flowers. There were many sunrises and sunsets--my favorites
Google news was talking about the North Texas fires, Somali Pirates, Italy Earthquake along with Hannah Montana's new movie. Hot items.
Infinite Thinking Machines had Friday Tools for Teachers. One Friday tool caught my attention. The title was Finding Ada (Role Model of Women in Tech). Ada (not me) Lovelace wrote the world's first computer program. Interesting!
Catching up on the "Blogs I'm following-WOW-some smart people in this class.

Thing #14 - Discovering Web 2.0 Tools

Fun Stuff! That could consume more fun time at a computer than I can spare.

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This was fun! Extremely fascinating!

Several of these tools could be considered in the social realm. I thought of family trees and family activities when I looked at TimeGlider. LetterPop would be a quick and easy way to share activities--family or school project. would be a great planner and reference for what needs to be done, what order, and by whom.

I just sort of gave up on all of them when I found JigZone, and zeroed in on JigZone. I chose to publish one of my pictures from my spring break trip. I chose 35-piece JigZone. When that puzzle came up I thought now the fun begins. This could be addictive.

There are so many ways this could be incorporated in classroom--contest, extra learning enrichment, eye-hand coordination, shapes, and list goes on.

Well maybe my Sandbox Wiki can just read my blog--I have to go back to my puzzles.

Thing #13 - Online Image Generators

I think I will have to sign up for tutoring. I could not make any of them work.

Thanks for the link (tutoring).

I have tagged it in Delicious for future use.

I created several images, but since I was not sure where some of the pictures came from I am only publishing those I took with my camera while on spring break.

I used Big Huge Labs

This like many THINGS I have learned can become addictive.

Thing #12 - Creat a Slideshow

WOW!

So much to learn!

See picture credits in Thing #11

Thing #11 – Photosharing with Flickr

Well not one lesson has come and gone without me learning something new. My trip through Flickr was no exception to the rule.

I did not know that you could store pictures on Flickr and they could be private as well as public. Once again my family has a gazillion pictures that we need to store, share, tag some way—Flickr could be the answer.

The photos that I captured from Flickr are sunrise, sunset, sun rays, etc.
a. I really like nature scenes—sunrise, sunset, water, flowers, etc.
b. They make great background pictures for any project that you may be working on—classroom, power point presentations, away from school, scrapbooking, etc.


Silhouette by phythonboot http://www.flickr.com/photos/python_boot/3338285519/sizes/o/



Sunrise
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fmc550uz/3248368384/


Lumineux voile by alpha du centaure
http://www.flickr.com/photos/alphaducentaure/3237246096/



welcome Sun by Xavier Fargas
http://www.flickr.com/photos/xfp/3238838522/

Thing #10 – Creative Commons

Yes, I have seen the CC logo, but I never gave it much thought until this lesson.

I think CC will give students more freedom as they work. They tend to not think about copyright laws and so this will give them some leeway without legal issues. This is sort of taking away the plagiarisms issues that students face when writing a research paper.

I think plagiarisms were so thoroughly ingrained when we were younger and writing research papers. However, students don’t think too much about taking something off the web for use in projects. So with CC students have legal rights to use some material off the web in projects.

I think there is still the issue of publishing something as though it is MINE when it is full of things that belong to someone else.

Teaching materials, written articles, etc that I want credit for must not have materials that were created by someone else without specific written permission.

Potentially there is the problem that students will get too comfortable using CC things and forget that not everything is CC material.

Thing #9 – Play in the Wiki Sandbox

I felt like a Dear in the Light!

I really wanted to throw it up in the air and see where it would fall, but since I am not a quitter that didn’t happen.

Instead I did what all good people do—I went and ate. Then I felt better, and then it all made sense.

I printed all the links in Thing #9 including the Quick Reference Guide. I placed them all on the table and went from one to the other until I had all my ducks in a row. It was not easy at first but then it became fun. So here is the link:

Deer in Lights

Thing #8 - What in the world is a wiki?

Ward Cunningham was a smart cookie! I know there is hype about/against Wikipedia, but I will say they have greatly increased their accuracy and reliability over the last few years and for my lack of technology I can really get carried away with the links and trying to remember how to get back to the main subject at hand (I need some bread crumbs).

After watching the video Wikis in Plain English, I think my family could use a wiki quite successfully. There are times when we have emails flying like in the beginning of the video. At some point no one really knows who or what they are responding to. Since a wiki can be private I think we could have some real fun in that department.

I glanced at several of the educational wikis listed, but the ones that really caught my eye:
Go West--the flow chart was clever and the history of the westward movement always fascinates me.
Holocaust Wiki Project--another of those fascinations for me and the depth of the project was intriguing--tracing family names, etc.
Kindergarten Counting Book--cute!
Welker's Wikinomics--anything to help the study of Economics (not my favorite subject)--the ski mountain concept was clever, even the pronunciation of the words.
Wiki Wiki Teaching--she is great, young and enthusiastic--I get the distinct impression that in the beginning she was flying one step ahead of the students. I like that honesty. We have all been there. I really like the dog and cat graphic.

PS The word Wiki really disturbed my computer’s spell checker.

Thing #7 - Creating community through commenting

I read the blogs and try to think of a comment that is appropriate. I am still very guarded when it comes to writing anything when I know the world will be able to access everything that I say.

Several of the ones that I read have good rules and thoughts regarding Etiquette. Yes, they stress commenting on what I read. One thing that I read caught my attention. When someone comments on one of my blogs, I should at least say Thanks. That makes sense! I will get there eventually.

I always enjoy the graphics I especially like the Blue Skunk.

Thing #6 - Feed your reader: find & subscribe to feeds

I have heard it said by others who have taken this class that the further into the class the more fascinating these Things can be. I am beginning to understand the comment. I am no where close to where I want to be, but I am learning. I still get frustrated when I have a few minutes to work on the Things and it seems that the entire world is using all the band space. At that point I will shut it down and do something else.

As I read blogs from others such as http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/, http://elearningtech.blogspot.com/, etc, the things that I continue to read include comments like paperwork frustration, and latest technology. These comments fall in line with the “Going Green” theme of today. I chuckled at one comment that read something like get rid of the school boards. However, as we continue to move into the 21st century we will find many things we can “get rid of” by replacing them with a higher level of efficiency.

Online education is the way to go. It is amazing to me the vast array of reference material (including fun things) that is online and updated frequently during the day.

I really like http://www.livemocha.com/pages/resources/education-blog-list. The list includes so many Education Blog Lists to choose from.

Thing # 5

Wow! I just learned how to add a feed to my reader when it doesn't want me to add it.

It doesn't take a lot to make me happy. New toys are cheap in my world.

Thing # 5

I read items from the required feed:

http://students2oh.org/
http://www.infinitethinking.org/
http://www.techlearning.com/blog

Not necessarily in that order, but in conjunction with each other. I continue to be amazed at the technology that we are not using, that others are using—not to mention the idea that I did not know these things existed. When I say we I am including my self. I am probably the greenest person in this class. Why are we not teaching our students at a very young age to look things up on the computer and to blog. I know we are moving forward. I am just overwhelmed that I am so behind with these class room tools of learning. I am grateful that I have grandchildren who are forcing me to learn new things.

Thing #4 - Blogging begins with Reading

After reading several blogs on the Sample Blog Post list I have determined that:

• Blogs are more like a living room conversation than formal writing.
• Blogs are different/similar to other reading…they are like reading a play…pay attention to which actor is saying what.
• Blog writing is different/similar to other types of writing (1) first and foremost remember that the entire world is reading what I say, (2) will it be offensive to the reader, (3) will it make sense to the reader, (4) is it relevant. Remember also that I need to cover the subject without writing a thesis.
• Commenting contributes in a cooperative learning format—this is my idea, what do you think, how can I/we improve. It can become a sounding board.
• Without “Blogging Literacy” it becomes a group project where one or two do all the work and the others coast.

Blogging can facilitate learning (1) it is new, fresh, and challenging, (2) different teaching style creates new, fresh, and challenging teaching, (3) it uses the technology which students love so well. Everyone has to think out of the box.

References:
EduBlog Insights (Anne Davis): A Rationale for Educational Blogging
Discourse About Discourse: The Ripe Environment
Students 2.0: Teaching Brevity
NeverEnding Search: PowerPoint Reform - A First Chapter
Weblogg-ed (Will Richardson): Why Can't We Do This? Andy Carvin/Learning NOW: An Open Letter About Cyberbullying

Some of these did not strike me from the “education” point of view but from the world we live in point of view, life in general. Even the computer industry will have to update their spell checker. I even had a few great laughs along the way—“been there, done that”.

Thing #3 - Avatar

Wow! I learned something new. Erased one more fear.

Thing #2 Web 2.0

Wow! Information Overload! Mind-Boggling! Shocking! Revealing! Stressing! Exciting! Frustrating! Change! Oh no, we have to change! We never did it that way before!

It seems that my entire life has been just one step ahead of my kids and/or my students. This is one more change in our lives, one more time to try to stay one step ahead of the kids. Wow, ready for fun!

This is the next chapter in our lives. How do we get on board? How do we plan? How do we execute? How, How, How?

Scream! That should clear the cobwebs. Now we can get to work! Yeah! Ready for more learning!

Thing #1 7 1/2 Habits of Highly Successful Lifelong Learners

In reality I have been a lifelong learner. As a teacher and a parent, my motto to my children and my students is “Never give up the opportunity to learn something new, it may feed you tomorrow.” Some times we can’t see far enough into the future to realize what we may need at some point.

If I want to know how to do something I take a class, attend a seminar, ask a friend—I have a network of smart friends and family. We ask questions and share findings. Therefore, the easiest habit will be to continue learning.

The most challenging habits will be having the confidence to launch into the unknown world of internet. It has been a challenge for me for sometime now; and one of my goals for this class is to overcome some of those fears. When I first began to use a computer the fear of operating a simple software package was a challenge. I am quite comfortable now; and I expect to become comfortable with the internet before this class is over.

So, Fear beware, Help is on the way!

Just Checking...

...to see if my brain is fried or if I actually did this!