ONE LAST THING.........

WHEW!!! Finally....the last THING....
I am truly glad to have arrived at the end, but so glad I took the trip!

What were my favorite discoveries or exercises on this learning journey?
Julie Andrews had her favorite things and these are a few of my favorite APSU 23 things....Google calendar, Animoto, Flickr, Online Image Generators and just learning to Blog. I am not sure I every would have created my own blog if not for this class.

How has this program affected my lifelong learning goals?
Way back in Thing #1, I mentioned that playing was one of the Habits that was difficult for me to do. I sometimes focus so intently on the task at hand that I forget to have fun during the process. This program definitely showed me another example of how you can have fun while learning. There were several activities that were very fun and seemed much more like play than homework. There were times when my husband took over home responsibilities so that I could work on the 23 Things and I felt really guilty for getting to "work" on them when I felt like I was just playing on the computer.

Were there any take-a-ways or unexpected outcomes from this program that surprised me?
The biggest surprise was how much is out there that is free and so useful. I knew the Internet was amazing, but did not know how much web 2.0 has changed things. It seemed like every week I was telling my friends and family about something new I learned. I have said many times during this semester, that this is a class that could be taken every few years and be totally different just because technology changes so fast.

What could we do differently to improve upon this program’s format or concept?
I really liked the program. The only thing I might change it to try to combine some of the items to streamline a little bit. There were a couple that were similiar enough to be able to do this without sacrificing content and learning.

How will what I have learned influence my practice as a teacher?
I will definitely use what I have learned in the classroom. There are so many educational resources to use in the classroom. The pictures and videos are wonderful resources that can be incorporated into any lesson plan. More importantly, I will not be intimidated to try to use these, and other, new tools in the classroom with students.

How do I plan to keep up with new developments in web 2.0? Recommend a way that I have found to be useful.
I have already subscribed to the RSS feed for the Learning 2.1 blog. That will be a great way to keep up with new developments.

Thanks for such a great experience!!!

Thing #23: Creative Commons

There are many references that make it clear that APSU 23 Things is based on another work. Some examples of those references are:

1. The note after Thing 23: *Note: This project is loosely based upon the website 43Things (which allows you to set and track personal goals) and the Stephen Abram article titled 43 Things I (or You) might want to do this year (Information Outlook - Feb 2006).

2. The note in the "About Learning 2.0" section: Learning 2.0 - 23 Things for Teachers is based on Learning 2.0 - 23 Things. That program is based on the Learning 2.0 program that was designed by Helene Blowers, Technology Director at the Charlotte Mecklenburg County Public Library system, with the support and assistance of several staff. Helene's program was loosely based upon Stephen Abram's article, 43 Things I (or You) might want to do this year (Information Outlook - Feb 2006) and the website 43Things.

Until reviewing the resources about Creative Commons, I had no idea it was so complex. I am so glad I had the opportunity to review them and I feel so much better equipped to teach students how important this is. Teaching by example is definitely the first step. Secondly, these are such great resources to help teach students about this too by incorporating them into my curriculum as well.

Thing #22: Podcasts: No iPod Needed!

I used Podcastalley.com to find a podcast of interest. It was very user friendly and did not require download or password to listen to the podcasts. I found a podcast I liked called Bytesize Science. I actually found it in the Kids and Family section of Podcastalley. It is an educational podcast designed for young listeners from the American Chemical Society (ACS). It translates scientific discoveries from scientific journals into interesting stories for kids. I found podcasts to be very interesting and can see where they would be a useful resource in the classroom. Though this activity did not inspire me to create my own podcast, it did interest me enough to subscribe for future listening.

The following podcast is one I found interesting and I think students would enjoy:

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/BytesizeScience/~5/z46oS9i9ksI/Ep38_ChickenFeathers_4-8-09.mp3

Thing #21: Animoto

I love this tool!! It was so easy and fun. I can think of so many uses for this one personally and professionally. In the classroom, it would be fun to document different class activities and make a video for the class, other teachers, new students, etc. I made this of our baseball team's district win last year. VERY FUN!!!

Thing #20: You, Too, Can YouTube

I chose to include a current event video from YouTube. This is a video about the recent tornado that touched down in Murfreesboro, TN. I chose this one because I can see how YouTube could be used in the classroom to tie a lesson (weather) to relevant events. After watching this, I don't think it would be hard to explain the tremendous power of storms. I both like and dislike YouTube. I agree that there are many good videos, but also many that are not worth watching. It is a good resource if used with care.

Thing #19: Beyond MySpace: Other Social Networks

I joined Teacher POP and was a little surprised at the approval time, but am glad I was approved in time to post and think I will enjoy being a member. The two activities I chose to complete for Thing 19 were:

1) Add the Teacher POP badge to this blog. This is posted on the top left of the blog.
2) Left a message, AKA commented on a video entitled, " Math Education: An Inconvenient Truth" posted by Dr. Wall.

Other than Facebook, this is the only online community I have joined. Teacher POP is appealing because it was created specifically for educators and is an APSU original. I think I will enjoy the networking with people who share common experiences in the APSU education program. I will be able to learn much from fellow students and others through this online community.

Thing #18: Explore Social Networking

I added a badge to this blog with my Facebook profile (see bottom left). I have been on Facebook for a couple of months, but only get on a couple of times a month. I guess that's not being too social on a social networking site! It just takes a time commitment that I can't really make right now. I do enjoy doing it from time to time to catch up on all my "social friends" though. I can see why it is important that educators know how social networking works because that is what students are doing now. This is the "hang out" area of our day. It is also another way to network with other teachers. I didn't really gain any new insights, but confirmed what I already knew about the sites. I like them both fine, but prefer Facebook primarily because that is where my friends are to be found. I can see where these could be used in the classroom to foster relationships and communications among teachers and students. I do think it should be used with caution and proper discernment, however. There are school system rules to be followed when it comes to after school socializing with students. There have been several articles in the local newspaper recently about Facebook contact between a SRO and students.

Thing #17: Tagging and Social Bookmarking with Del.icio.us

I watched both of the Del.icio.us tutorials. I continue to really like the style of the Common Craft guys. They make it simple and to the point, but do it in a way that is not dull. I checked out a few of the bookmarks with APSU23things and subscribed to the RSS feed to keep up to date after this class ends. Afterward, I created an account with Del.icio.us and began to play with it some to research various topics. I really liked what I found. I have still been using my Favorites list to bookmark Internet sites of interest, but Del.icio.us takes that to a new level. I love that it is not computer specific, which makes doing work from school, home, and work seamless. I also like the social networking aspect. This really helps to weed through sites to get to the more useful ones. I can see where this could be used in the classroom to guide students through appropriate research. I plan to use this when writing my Assistive Technology paper this week.

Thing #16: Get Organized with Web 2.0 Tools

I created an iGoogle home page. I chose that because I already have a Google account and the setup was very easy. I found it easy to customize and set up just the way I needed it to be. I definitely plan to make that my permanent home page. I really wish I would have done this sooner. It will be very useful to have all the the information that is important to me in one place when I need it and updated daily. I have never done this, because I simply have not taken the time to see what is out there to make my life easier. As I have mentioned before, I REALLY like the Google calendar and I added that to my home page first thing! This has already been so useful and I already have big plans to do more. I also added the "to-do list" gadget to my home page just as a visual reminder. I also investigated some of the other tools for list management that were a little more complex. I want to look into those some more, but think they will go hand in hand with Google calendar to improve my productivity and organization. The mobile phone notification and management for tasks and lists are what I am very interested in learning more about. Did I mention that I love Google calendar?! Thanks Dr. Wall!!! I will definitely recommend it to others.

Thing #15: What in the World is a Wiki?

I enjoyed learning more about Wikis. I think it is an interesting concept, but I can see where integrity of information is at risk. I will have to admit, I am the sort of person who is happier where things are more black or white, true or false. OK, I will admit that I am also a bit of a control freak too. The idea that anyone can modify published information without accuracy verification is odd to me. I just seems to fit the society idea that there really are no real absolute truth and that if enough people believe and speak it, then it must be true. I don't really buy into this philosophy. I do see where wikis could be used to communicate, collaborate, plan, brainstorm, etc. If used for that, I think they have many possibilities for the classroom. I liked the classroom examples given here and they gave me some ideas for how I might use them in my own classroom.

Thing #14: Go With the Flow

I created accounts with Gliffy for the flow chart and Mind Meister for the mind map. They were both useful for their intended purpose. In the past I have used a desktop application very similar to Gliffy to create flow charts. I used them to create organizational flow charts for my department and for production and process flow charts. Mind Meister seems to be a way to document ideas when brainstorming. I have used something similar in the past when problem solving or troubleshooting. I found both of these to be another way to create something that has been around for a while. I did, however, really like the idea of collaboration. I used to be the Quality Manager for an automotive manufacturing company. There were many times when we would work with customers or suppliers to solve product or process problems. We used a process called a 5-Why, which was really a way to use a fish bone diagram to study a problem and examine possible causes and solutions. Mind Meister would come in very handy when doing this since often it is done by conference call. It would be very useful for all parties to have access to this simultaneously. I can see where this could be used in the classroom to teach problem solving methods.

Thing #13: Web-Based Applications

My imported Zoho Writer Example follows:

ZOHO WRITER EXAMPLE

This is my example of a Zoho Writer document. So far, I like it. I knew there were online applications such as this, but really perceived them to be far inferior to Microsoft Office. Zoho Writer is making me reconsider my position on this. It is easy to use and I like the idea of being able to easily import and export with Microsoft Office. I also like the ability to create documents as a pdf files without having to purchase the full Adobe software package. I have already decided to give this a try on some work files that I share with others. I will definitely like not having to make sure the latest version is saved on my jump drive that I carry to and from work. I am looking forward to seeing how I like it over time.

Toodles!