Thing 7b- Thor?

My reader had a very interesting article posted about Jessica Biel and a future role in the movie Thor. She would have a role as a love interest of the super hero. I have absolutely no idea who Thor is or if he even had a love interest. However, I have been a Jessica Biel fan since the early years of Seventh Heaven. That was when television was wholesome and taught a lesson. Boy do I miss those days! Biel's appearance in the film would be my sole reason to see it. It is amazing to witness actresses and actors grow as the become more experienced. I have definitely added the movie to my list of movies to watch.

Thing 7a ~ Now That's a Twitt

I received an article in my reader about Twitter. I have heard about it , but never took the time to investigate further. The article is very informative. It tells you exactly what twitter is, how to post comments effectively and even has several links to help you get started. I definitely see Twitter as another site that I could lose many valuable hours of time exploring. If I learn something new during the process, then it might not be so bad.

Thing 12 Slideshow

Creating a slide show is a great way to give viewers a glance at specific event without having to type a word. The fact that you can add music to the show is great. It gives each show a more personal feel. The music is like a trademark. Slideshows can be used in class to show the progress of a project. The students can add pictures that tell the story from beginning to end. Students can use slideshows for personal pictures as well.

Thing 11 Flickr

A lot of my friend ue Flickr to store their pictures. I personally haven't used it ...yet. It has been added to my long list of new resources to tap into. I enjoyed the ease of using flickr. I think most elementary students could use it and I'm sure my high school students could use flickr withtheir eyes closed and one hand tied behind thier backs there was a wid array of pic on transvers wave to choose from , but Ilike this one by qwetry gauri the most.

Thing 9 - Wiki What?

Wiki-Wiki. This was definitely the most challenging of the "Things for me. I had to exhaust all resources in an attempt to complete it. However, it was still fun. I liked the way each step had a purpose and you seemed to be building to a final goal. My wiki isn't very appealing to the eye to day, but visit in a few weeks, month, or years even. It maygrow to be a great work.

Thing 22 - Social Networking Facebook

Facebook allows us to take a sneak peak into the live of our students. It allows us to see who they are as individuals outside of the classroom. We can find out about interests they may have at home that are not a part of their school lives. Facebook is also a tool we can use to communicate with students about classwork. It allows them to get to know us with limitations. Check my page out. They are able to feel a more personal connection via social networking than they may at school. One concern that I have about the Networking sites is the bullying that happens on them. Monitoring them is a serious issue.

Thing 7b- Reader Review

We are all entitled to our opinion. This person didn't really like The Night at the Museum. I personally enjoyed the movie. Maybe it's my inner child dying to come out. Really, it is probably the fact, that my son had so many questions about history after watching that I had to search the web to answer some of them. It was a fun movie and I am looking froward to the sequel. Check out the trailer.

Thing 21- More Google

I explored the Google calender. It is pretty cool. I could create a callender of events for my classes and the students/parents could see what assignments were comming up. Students would know what they missed if they were absent and parents would know when tests were approaching. Again Google has great tools to continue good parent/teacher communication.

I also toyed with the the alerts. I used it more for a personal reason, but it could be used to have students investigate current events on spedcific topics. After they find a current event, they could make a presentation or report in Google docs and turn it in. This would eliminate the paper! Let's GO GREEN!

Thing 20 -Google Docs

Technology blows my mind every time I explore a new "Thing." Google docs is an awesome tool for teachers to use to collaborate on tests or planning. I can begin a document and share is with a colleague to add what they would like. Then we can both edit it. A spreadsheet can be created that allows parents to see their child's grade. This is an awesome way to keep parents informed without having to make a phone call. Google Docs allows for great time management.

Students can use it to collaborate on projects. Group presentations can be prepared without the group having to meet outside of the classroom.

Thing 19- Voicethread

I really enjoyed exploring the voice threads. It is yet another innovative way to present student work. As a teacher, I can have visual images of my student's work and add narrations about the work by each student. I can display those at open house or on the school's website. It is a wonderful way to boost student morale and show everyone how technology can be used in the classroom.

I can use voicethread in my personal life in many different areas. I could use it to create a scrap book of vacations. It will allow each family member to put their own creativity into the scrapbook.

Thing 18 - You Tube Too?

YouTube is an awesome resource for anyone. There are a vast number of videos that can be used for numerous purposes. I discovered some clips of full-length Bill Nye videos that I use in IPC. These clips can be used during class. When a student is absent, they can view them from home. They rock because as a travelling teacher, I don't have to carry a video around all day.





A really cool instructional video I found taught me how to change the Icons on my Iphone to personalized images such as hearts or smiley faces. I like this video because it allows me to personalize my phone to my personal taste. I don't have to settle for what Apple gave me.





There are videos on YouTube that show true North Mesquite school spirit as well. You'll have to find those on you own!

Thing 17- Podcasting

I really liked the Science show for kids and the 60 Seconds podcasts. 60 Seconds was very short but interesting facts. They were literally 60 seconds long. You get just enough info. It’s not too much and not too little. Science show for kids is a great podcast because kids are actually asking thought provoking questions. It also has simplified explanations of complex science topics. Although I don’t listen to podcasts now, I see myself taking advantage of that function on my MP3 player.

Thing 16- Library Thing

On my gosh! I love this site! I can get anything I want to know about any book here! I will definitely share this site with my mom and grandma. They read any thing in print! It is a great tool to use to get younger readers interested in reading as well. This aspect of the site makes it a great place to sent students. I may even attempt to do the 50 Book Challenge this summer. (If I have time.) I will definitely go back to this resource.

Thing 15 - Tagging

Delicious narrows your results to specific information making it a very effective search engine. I am almost certain this type of site appeals to many groups of people. It is more specific than Google or yahoo search engines which bombard you with overwhelming amounts of information to filter. Delicious will be especially useful to those who are easily discouraged by too much information and those who know exactly what they want.

Thing 7a- Reader Feeds

I had no idea how much information would be fed in my reader. Today I read about Derrick Rose, the starting point guard for the Chicago Bulls, being chosen to the NBA All-Rookie First Team. It is a huge honor for any player to make this type of team. This honor can only add to the excitement of leading the Bulls in a great series against the Celtics. Being an NBA player is a dream come true for most, and this type of season as a rookie makes a tremendous deal better.

Thing 14 - Web 2.0 Tools, tools tools

In exploration of 30 boxes I was really excited at it versatility. It will allow me to share assignment dates and upcoming due dates with all of my students. They can see what they have missed or get what they will miss before they miss it. The calender can be shared among teachers and parents. You can't really ask for much more than an interactive calender that gives everyone a 30 glance at what is happening in your class.

Thing 13 - Image Generation

The image generators are fun, simple and easyto use. They add fun to any project for work, school or personal use. Most are FREE! You just click on the link to Image Chef or Comic Strip Generator. Once on the page, search for your desired topic, find an image you like, and follow the intructions given by the site. To save your image, you can right click, go down to save image as, and save the image in your desired destination.
Here are a couple of images I created.

If I can do it...I know anyone can make it happen!

Thing 10 - CC

I have never notices the CC logo. I definitely look for it now. That would explain how so many can uses someone else's work to somewhat inspire their work. If that's what you want to call it. It is a great way to give the less creative, like myself, a archive of sorts to go to for creativity. Even though you can't claim the work as your own, your work seems incredibly inventive. While I become more "creative", the very generous persons allowing me to borrow their creativity become introduced to a market they may not have been introduced to before.

Thing 8 -Wiki...What?

Wiki seems cool enough. I visited several sites. My least favorite was Code Blue. I guess I thought it would have more blogs. However, it did not and I was so disappointed. There were only links to body systems, info, games, and how stuff works. The next site I ventured onto was Dr. Reich's Chemistry Wiki. It was much better than the first. It was a great place for students to see assignments, post information for others or get help if needed. The Math 12V Outcomes Portfolio wiki was pretty good source of information and help for the students. Wiki pages seem to be a great place to share information. Students and teachers can use them to communicate effectively, but my preference is blogging.

Thing 7- Comments

Becoming lost in the numerous blogs and comments is easy. One reader may post a blog for all to see and other readers will not see the comments posted. Creating a system to classify blogs and their comments based on the main idea or most important information could ease this our frustration. The ability to find information from both blogs and comments this way could make searching blog topics very simple. Utilizing such a system could revolutionize the manner in which we blog.

Thing 6

Readers are the best! I never imagined having access to such unimaginable amounts of information. That are taylored to my specific interests. I don't have to search and attempt to filter through thousands and thousands of sites on my own. It is done for me based on what I add to the reader. Now I only have to filter through about ten or twenty a day for each blog added to my reader. Technology rocks!

A great example of how great readers can be is the blog posted by The Networked Teacher. When I read the blog and looked at the picture posted, it made me think. It gave me perspective about how everything in our society is tied to technology. As I asked myself the questions at the end, I came to a shocking realization. It does represent me, but how do I get it to represent my lessons and teaching style?

Thing 5

The blog titled Don't Save the World really caught my attention. As I read, I could relate to the student and her dilemma. My summers as a high school student were quite similar. Hanging out with friends at the mall or at home was the norm. There was an occasional weekend trip or family vacation, but nothing that would make the headlines. The small amount of community service I did paled in comparison to the life-changing experiences of the teens in the article mentioned.
Her honesty about not really wanting to save the world is amazing. Your average teen isn't going to say that in a blog that the entire world has access to read. The risk of receiving criticism is huge. However, it was ironic to hear see her plans for the next summer did include a project to impact the world. I guess we all have to start somewhere.

Thing 4

Blogging is a fabulous way to connect people with simialr interests. It gives everyone a voice. No matter your age or intellectual ability, there is a place for you in the world of blogging! Bloggers have the ability to post their thoughts and comment on other's thoughts. It is a superbly innovative manner of expression. Ultimately, blogging could increase literacy simply by giving people the freedom to say what they are thinking.

Thing 2

Initially I believed web 2.0 was similar to the average search engine. However, I have learned that it is a way for teachers and students to communicate with one another. With today's students having so much technology at their fingertips, Web 2.0 is a fantastic way to keep students engaged. It allows them to take an active part in their learning. They feel more responsible and are able to have their voices heard. It lets students share new information with each other. As a result, they are able to help one another.

Thing1

Learning like anything in life is about desire. When there is a desire to learn, a person will stop at nothing to learn what they desire. The most challenging aspect of learning anything new is finding time to learn. In today's day and age of endless business, there is little or no time for anything extra. This challenge causes many of us to put learning on the back burner in our task-filled lives.
As difficult as it may seem, once the obstacle of time is overcome, learning is quite fulfilling. It creates a burning desire to run and tell the whole all your friends and colleagues what you've learned. You become like a child who has learned something new. You have to do it all the time and share it with everyone.
Learning new skills becomes an eye-opening experience which can become a bit of a challenge. It can force you to leave your comfort zone. While the skills you already have will be utilized, they will be exhausted. At which point, you will have to rely on and get help from others.