Thing # 5

Really Simple Syndication or RSS was semi-interesting to me. This to me is much like what I use my favorites folders for; however, the RSS has the added benefit of only listing new stories or information about your feed. I chose to set up a Google Reader since I was on a roll with the iGoogle homepage. It was really easy to set up and choose which feeds I wanted to monitor. I chose to monitor some news sites, the science package and the technology package, some library feeds, and a frugal travel feed from the NY Times. I think that being able to go to one location and search for new current even stories regarding science and technology would be a great activity to incorporate into the classroom or the library. Using the reader and the stories to update a "did you know" or "current event" board would be a great way to use the site for educational purposes. Man, I just keep getting all sorts of ideas from these activities! I do like the fact that the reader also allows you to search through the new postings by using keywords. This helps to narrow the results down since even with only a few feeds, the amount of reading could become overwhelming.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, one of my main goals in this course is to have fun. The feed that I liked the most from this exercise was the frugal traveler feed. I thought it was interesting that there are people who can make their vacations last for months. They have basically adopted the mentality (whether voluntarily or due to economic circumstances) that they will work to live not live to work. They basically work seasonally and make enough money to vacation the rest of the year. My brain doesn't really work this way even though I think it would be fabulous to take extended vacations. I plan to monitor this feed just to get tips and hints on how to vacation for less money :)

Thing #4

As I mentioned previously, I am a blogging fan. I can see so many applications for this forum of communication. Some of the most interesting ways that I saw when browsing was the idea of using the blog to connect one classroom to another somewhere around the world. How amazing would it be to set up a blog with a class in Australia where the students could share their ideas, customs, pictures, videos etc. with one another. This is the modern forum for pen-pals!

I particularly liked Joyce Valenza's PowerPoint Reform blog. I can not agree more with her views on PowerPoint being overused in school by both the teachers and the students. I think that she is correct in saying that it is time to move beyond the old standard best practice rules and allow the students and teachers creative license to explore and expand their presentations.

Can I just say that I cracked up when I read Duck with a Blog! It is too cute to see how kids think. What a great way to have elementary kids not only learn new technology, but to practice their reading and writing skills while learning about animals. I loved this one!

I enjoyed looking through these blogs and seeing what other people are doing. I could definitely see a blog being utilized is to keep parents and students informed about what is going on in the classroom. It would be so easy to keep a current lesson plan and school event calendar on the blog for a classroom or library so that students and parents could check it at anytime to see what is going on. Teachers could provide links to homework, worksheets, video tutorials, and even helpful websites for those parents who want to be active in their child's education. This would also be a great way for the students to post questions and comments and get responses from not only the teacher, but from each other. This may pose a problem in that some students would post inappropriate comments, but by setting the blog up for all comments to be filtered through e-mail, this could be monitored.

As Ann Davis points out in her blog A Rationale for Educational Blogging it is important to realize that the writing style and format of a blog is not what is traditionally taught or seen in a classroom, so both the teachers and the students have to adjust and modify their expectations. This is not to say that quality writing is not expected, it is just a different format than the traditional 5 paragraph essay.

Another problem with this type of blog would be the time needed to maintain it. Overall, I can definitely see myself creating multiple blogs and utilizing them in a variety of ways. I already have several :^)

Thing #3

I absolutely love the blog forum! I have used blogs for things such as my book club discussions, our campus read program, classes posting online projects and pod casts, several of my online masters classes, as well as personal use blogs. I love the forum of being able to keep an online journal of my thoughts that I can share (or not depending on my mood) with others. I can see so many uses for this forum of communication not only in the education field, but personally as well. The interaction and features that are available are wonderful for teachers, students and librarians. My immediate thought when I was introduced to blogs was that they are a phenomenal way to keep parents informed about what is going on in the classroom or on campus. In addition, they are a super way to help the kids interact on an individual basis. Students are always more willing to participate and are more engaged when given the opportunity to do electronic or at least hands on assignments. On a personal level, we live 5 1/2 hours away from all of our family, so keeping a personal blog with current pictures and happenings in our lives is a great way for our family to feel like they are apart of our daughters' lives.

Needless to say, since I am such a fan of blogging, you can imagine how much I loved creating my own Avatar. I won't even tell you how long my daughters and I spent playing around with the Avatars and creating one for each of us. My daughters are 7 & 8, and they each now have their own Avatar that they beg me to let them "dress up." It is the modern day paper doll, and who didn't like to play with paper dolls?! We had so much fun creating our little Avatars to resemble us and portray our interests!

I am looking forward to the next Thing on the list!

Thing #2

Web 2.0 technologies have and will continue to impact education. The advanced technology that is available is making it much easier and efficient to communicate and teach in much more efficient, effective and dynamic ways. The teachers and students are able to produce and share information in new and exciting ways that are not restricted to the traditional essay or discussion. Technology such as blogs, wikis, gadgets, and RSS feeds (to name a very few) allow learning to be an interactive and dynamic process that adapts and changes with the needs and wants of the participants. The classroom is able to move so far beyond the 4 physical walls on campus with this technology. There is the potential for amazing things to happen. With all of these advances and advantages of technology also comes the potential for corruption and serious ethical problems. Teaching in an environment which utilizes all of the potential resources also eliminates the traditional safe and controlled environment of the traditional classroom. The teacher is no longer able to dictate exactly what information to which the students are exposed, nor is she fully able to control what information the students may publish. This is where the importance of teaching ethical technology use and information literacy comes into play. I think that education should embrace and integrate emerging technology with the understanding that teaching ethics and information literacy is a necessary part of that process.

Thing #1

I enjoyed watching and listening to the tutorial on the 7 1/2 of Highly Successful Lifelong Learners. I find that the older I get, the more I appreciate the opportunity to learn new things and broaden my scope of knowledge. As I went through the tutorial, by far the easiest habit for me is #6, using technology to my advantage. I am always on board with learning and experimenting with a new technology if it allows me to do something better, faster or more effectively. In the classroom, I fully utilized the programs and equipment that the Career and Technology Department provided us (thank you Judy and Leta), and I made it a point to not only teach with technology but to also learn with it as well. In the library, I try to offer innovative and technology oriented lessons and ideas to the students and teachers. I often use technology to make my job easier and to share information with as many people as I can on campus and through our web page.

Of the other habits, the one that I would say is the most difficult for me is #3, viewing problems as challenges. One of my weaknesses is the high amount of stress that I experience when confronted with obstacles that disrupt my routine. A previous boss of mine helped me to view a problem as an "opportunity" to show how well I can adapt and generate creative solutions. Believe it or not, looking at it this way helped me because I then perceived the problem and my reaction to it as a chance to prove myself instead of just a roadblock. I often learn new things when I take the time to solve a problem or overcome a roadblock.

The habit that I think will be most important in this course is to have fun. I find that if I have fun with the technology and if I am excited about using it, I can more easily get others to participate and be a part of it. The things that I am passionate and excited about are so much easier to "sell" to the teachers and students. If I can promote the technology as not only a way to broaden our students marketable skill set, but also as a fun way to learn, then I am more likely to get the teachers to try lessons using the technology. Besides, it is summer and who wants to "work" in the summer!? I am looking at this course as my fun time on the computer.