I have enjoyed the 23 Things course! Thank you so much!
One of my biggest goals was to gain FREE teacher resources -- I definitely did that! I can't believe how many there are! Just Google Tools alone will take more days to discover and experience. I am just so proud of myself for completing the course and for learning so many new tools. I never thought that I would blog and have a wiki! I did that and then some!
I learned a lot of new things to help me personally and professionally. Flickr and Creative Commons were extra special and filled with possibilities. What a neat way to share photos and keep them safe and share them!
My favorite and fun thing were the image generators. How neat are those!? You could probably try a new one every day of the year! The possibilities are endless! I also enjoyed exploring Wordle, and Quizlet, and similar tools. There are lots of FREE resources for teachers and students to use!
VoiceThread and YouTube and TeacherTube were great tools to explore. I think that using videos to explain concepts and have students create videos to explain and upload would be great. When students teach, then they learn better! What a great way to integrate technology and engage students! That is the goal!
I would definitely want to participate in another class like this. It was self-paced and reasonable. I was a part of a group, and I am proud to say that I finished!
I want to continue to check my Google Reader for new articles and ideas on the blogs that I am subscribed to. I think that will help me keep up with our digital learners. I can also talk to my colleagues about various tools that they are using and loving!
Where do I go from here? I would like to create a new blog or wiki for my Math Teachers. I think it would be neat to have a place where we can discuss and see new strategies and ideas. If we had a blog, I could post videos, podcasts, or VoiceThreads of strategies in action. We could also comment on the great lessons in the curriculum and what needs to be improved. I could even incorporate Google Forms to find out information about the teachers at the beginning of the year. The possibilities are endless! I also love the format of this class -- perhaps there is a Middle School Math Online Professional Development in the future?? We will see! How exciting!
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Thing #23
Visit 23 Thingsters
I enjoyed my visit to the 23Thingsters Ning! I commented on a couple of members' posts and I also added a badge to my blog. Very cool! =)
Social networking is inevitable. I may as well embrace it! =) I found it so useful! After visiting Classroom 2.0, I can see the benefit in its use. Before, I just thought it was about social things - now I have discovered that it can be about work too! Hey -- I like to work, what can I say?! I love what I do and do what I love!
I think that teachers can really improve their practice here at a site like Classroom 2.0. I saw some very interesting questions and discussions going on. I wanted to jump right in! It is a great place to collaborate and see what other teachers are doing out there. That was neat. I searched by subject and found Math teachers getting feedback and answers to questions. Some very good discussions about problem solving -- very good!
I can really see a classroom Ning happening. Students could discuss what they learned in class that day, share notes, explain problem solutions, etc. They could even ask each other questions about upcoming topics or a tricky homework problem. I could also see a Math Teacher Ning happening. What a great place to ask questions, share strategies, and discover new resources. I think that it could have many positive impacts.
I could also see a Ning or other networking venue for a family that is scattered across the U.S. What a great place to upload pictures, share video clips, and ask how the graduation went, share what games were played at the baby shower, etc. What a neat way to stay in touch.
WOW! Another FREE resource! I think this networking thing may have some educational capabilities after all!
Thing #22
I chose to explore Facebook. I have to admit -- I have refused to be a part of Facebook. Call me crazy, but I just do not want to network in that way. I do not desire to have anyone find me and I do not want people to know what I do every minute. =) Then everyone would know that I work almost 100% of the time, because I would update the question, "What are you doing right now?" to "I am working on ____." Then the whole world would know that I am a workaholic. People just think that right now -- having a Facebook page would solidify that. So I did an alias page. Feel free to check out my profile.
1. I think it is important for educators to know about social networking because all the kids have a social network. That is how students communicate with each other. I also think it is important for teachers and students to not be friends on these social networking sites. When they graduate - sure. But not just to chat ...
2. I learned by updating my profile that you can tell a lot about a person on these social networking sites. Students need to be careful about what they put on there. I know that many employers check out these pages to see what a future employee does in their spare time. It could also be a way to search for people that share similar interests.
3. I do not like the idea of having 'friends' on these sites. People have to be invited and you have to ask to be a friend and then approve a friend -- it just seems so impersonal. I can see how people get wrapped up in it by trying to accumulate as many friends as possible. And then what happens when you delete a friend -- talk about traumatic!
4. I think Facebook had the most useful features. It was user friendly.
5. I think that these social networking sites could have some educational benefit in keeping in touch with colleagues and for networking. Sometimes it is difficult to build relationships with your fellow teachers because of the lack of time and the business of the day. So this could be a way to keep up with your colleagues to see what is going on in their lives.
1. I think it is important for educators to know about social networking because all the kids have a social network. That is how students communicate with each other. I also think it is important for teachers and students to not be friends on these social networking sites. When they graduate - sure. But not just to chat ...
2. I learned by updating my profile that you can tell a lot about a person on these social networking sites. Students need to be careful about what they put on there. I know that many employers check out these pages to see what a future employee does in their spare time. It could also be a way to search for people that share similar interests.
3. I do not like the idea of having 'friends' on these sites. People have to be invited and you have to ask to be a friend and then approve a friend -- it just seems so impersonal. I can see how people get wrapped up in it by trying to accumulate as many friends as possible. And then what happens when you delete a friend -- talk about traumatic!
4. I think Facebook had the most useful features. It was user friendly.
5. I think that these social networking sites could have some educational benefit in keeping in touch with colleagues and for networking. Sometimes it is difficult to build relationships with your fellow teachers because of the lack of time and the business of the day. So this could be a way to keep up with your colleagues to see what is going on in their lives.
Thing #7b
I subscribe to Free Technology for Teachers on my Google Reader. There was an interesting article about Nook Study. I found out about a very neat and FREE resource called Nook Study. It is a free tool from Barnes and Noble. It gives free access to over 500,000 ebooks that students can highlight and annotate from using Nook Study. They can even bookmark certain pages. It looks like a fantastic tool for students. It is coming soon -- I am looking forward to checking that one out! I wonder if it will have all the books that I need for future classes that I might take ... I will check to see!
Thing #21
WOW! There are so many Google Tools -- probably my favorite part so far. It is amazing what it all has to offer.
Google Sketch up is a great feature -- I can really see students using this tool in Math class. They could make a prism with specific dimensions and really see it in action and they could also change the dimensions as they go. Very neat feature! They could also create a model of the figure and then find the solution if the actual object was __ feet long. Using proportions in real life!
Google Earth is also great for measurement. Students can use scale and distances in Math class. They could locate the pyramids in Eqypt, and find the perimeter of the base and the surface area too. They could also determine the distance between two cities and predict/estimate the number of miles between two other cities. I see a future project coming on!
Google Calendar is a great tool. I find myself so busy -- no one can keep up with me. The Google Calendar would be a great way to do that! Teachers can see when I am coming to their schools, when I am in meetings, classes, etc. How great! My family can also keep track of me too! Here is a sample of my calendar.
We have already had the pleasure of experiencing You Tube and Blogger, which are also tools listed. Google Tools has a LOT to offer! I could spend hours experimenting and see what all it can do!
I thought that the Books feature was neat to search for full texts ... interesting! Also the Picasa could be another way to save and share photos -- kind of like Flickr. I have a digital camera -- I just need to carry it with me more often to take pictures and then share those images!
I enjoyed looking at the many Google Tools. I need to explore more and see what else is out there! Thanks for another FREE teacher resource!!! =)
Google Sketch up is a great feature -- I can really see students using this tool in Math class. They could make a prism with specific dimensions and really see it in action and they could also change the dimensions as they go. Very neat feature! They could also create a model of the figure and then find the solution if the actual object was __ feet long. Using proportions in real life!
Google Earth is also great for measurement. Students can use scale and distances in Math class. They could locate the pyramids in Eqypt, and find the perimeter of the base and the surface area too. They could also determine the distance between two cities and predict/estimate the number of miles between two other cities. I see a future project coming on!
Google Calendar is a great tool. I find myself so busy -- no one can keep up with me. The Google Calendar would be a great way to do that! Teachers can see when I am coming to their schools, when I am in meetings, classes, etc. How great! My family can also keep track of me too! Here is a sample of my calendar.
We have already had the pleasure of experiencing You Tube and Blogger, which are also tools listed. Google Tools has a LOT to offer! I could spend hours experimenting and see what all it can do!
I thought that the Books feature was neat to search for full texts ... interesting! Also the Picasa could be another way to save and share photos -- kind of like Flickr. I have a digital camera -- I just need to carry it with me more often to take pictures and then share those images!
I enjoyed looking at the many Google Tools. I need to explore more and see what else is out there! Thanks for another FREE teacher resource!!! =)
Thing #20
Google Docs is a great FREE teacher resource. I had a great time creating a 'Field Trip News' page in Google Docs. I really want to use this as we plan every third Saturday to feed the homeless. We go each month and we all plan the menu and take turns bringing the main dish, vegetable, fruit, bread, and dessert. It would be great to use a Google Docs for all the members of the group to edit the doc and add to it, creating the list of 'who brings what'. Talk about collaborative! That would be great!
The Google Forms is a great tool to get information quickly from teachers or friends. If you wanted to find out information about your teachers, you could easily make a Google Form with campus, grade level, years of experience, room number, extension, etc. You could also find out their favorite Sonic drink to surprise them after a busy day!
I also enjoyed the Google Spreadsheet -- what a great asset! You can make games on the Spreadsheet for students to use - or even a quiz! It could actually grade it for you too! That might be a neat thing to incorporate in a teacher's busy schedule -- a computer-graded game or quiz! It might take some effort, but I am sure it could be done ... Soliciting a technology facilitator for some help might just do the trick!
The Google Forms is a great tool to get information quickly from teachers or friends. If you wanted to find out information about your teachers, you could easily make a Google Form with campus, grade level, years of experience, room number, extension, etc. You could also find out their favorite Sonic drink to surprise them after a busy day!
I also enjoyed the Google Spreadsheet -- what a great asset! You can make games on the Spreadsheet for students to use - or even a quiz! It could actually grade it for you too! That might be a neat thing to incorporate in a teacher's busy schedule -- a computer-graded game or quiz! It might take some effort, but I am sure it could be done ... Soliciting a technology facilitator for some help might just do the trick!
Monday, July 5, 2010
Thing #19
Voicethread is a very useful tool. I searched various postings and found quite a few that I found beneficial. I searched 'integers' and found a Voicethread using a number line and one using manipulatives. This concept is developed in 7th grade math, so these would be great to show students in class. What would be even more powerful -- the students create their own Voicethread about a certain topic and upload it. They can share these with each other! What a great way to study and review topics! When a student teaches a concept, they will learn it even better themselves! What a great tool! WOW! Another free technology resource!
I found a Voicethread of someone describing how to add integers using a number line. This would be great to use with students! That way, they see the number line in action!
http://voicethread.com/share/99851/
I found another Voicethread of a student describing how to add and subtract integers using the two-color tiles. I think this would be very useful to use with students. Some students struggle with the use of manipulatives. This Voicethread could really help! I think students would get the most out of this one if they had the two-color tiles to use on their desks too.
http://voicethread.com/share/156253/
I found a Voicethread of someone describing how to add integers using a number line. This would be great to use with students! That way, they see the number line in action!
http://voicethread.com/share/99851/
I found another Voicethread of a student describing how to add and subtract integers using the two-color tiles. I think this would be very useful to use with students. Some students struggle with the use of manipulatives. This Voicethread could really help! I think students would get the most out of this one if they had the two-color tiles to use on their desks too.
http://voicethread.com/share/156253/
Thing #18
You Tube and Teacher Tube have great resources for teachers. I was able to find many resources and did lose track of time ... =) It was worth it, though. I was thinking about uploading videos of showing students and teachers how to use various math manipulatives while teaching concepts. Many people have already starting doing this -- I think it is fantastic! I can utilize videos already created and add some too!
I found a video of an 8-year old modeling Hands on Equations. First of all, he is adorable and very smart! Second of all, it is a great teaching tool. It can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBf25kNs0tA
He did a great job showing the audience how to solve for 'x'. He even checks his work -- fabulous! I think math sounds so much better when it comes from kids -- don't you?
I also found a video on TeacherTube that is about Integers Claymation. It is too cute! It shows the integer rules using claymation. I can see a group of students creating a similar video -- imagine how much these students are remembering their integer rules!
I have two dogs of my own, so I searched for a dog doing tricks. This was a fun video with a dog doing an amazing trick. How cute! He was so patient as he waited to eat the treat.
As a floral designer, I can appreciate a 'how-to' video on making arrangements and bouquets. A 'how-to' video on How to Make a Bouquet for the Bride was very informative. I have made MANY of these! =) She did a great job in her descriptions. I would like to see her 'french-knot' that bouquet ribbon -- that would have been beautiful!
Teacher Tube and You Tube offer many videos that could be beneficial in the classroom and educational setting. I could even see creating some to upload about modeling base-ten blocks, pentominoes, linking cubes, two-color counters, pattern blocks, etc. The possibilities are endless!
I found a video of an 8-year old modeling Hands on Equations. First of all, he is adorable and very smart! Second of all, it is a great teaching tool. It can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBf25kNs0tA
He did a great job showing the audience how to solve for 'x'. He even checks his work -- fabulous! I think math sounds so much better when it comes from kids -- don't you?
I also found a video on TeacherTube that is about Integers Claymation. It is too cute! It shows the integer rules using claymation. I can see a group of students creating a similar video -- imagine how much these students are remembering their integer rules!
I have two dogs of my own, so I searched for a dog doing tricks. This was a fun video with a dog doing an amazing trick. How cute! He was so patient as he waited to eat the treat.
As a floral designer, I can appreciate a 'how-to' video on making arrangements and bouquets. A 'how-to' video on How to Make a Bouquet for the Bride was very informative. I have made MANY of these! =) She did a great job in her descriptions. I would like to see her 'french-knot' that bouquet ribbon -- that would have been beautiful!
Teacher Tube and You Tube offer many videos that could be beneficial in the classroom and educational setting. I could even see creating some to upload about modeling base-ten blocks, pentominoes, linking cubes, two-color counters, pattern blocks, etc. The possibilities are endless!
Thing #17
Podcasting is a great tool for educators. Imagine the engagement of students when the teacher says, "Get out your iPods ..." How fun! I previewed the Merriam-Webster online 'Word of the Day'. Today's word is 'ponderous' meaning 'of very great weight'. I think this would be a great way to incorporate vocabulary -- one word at a time! Teachers could even utilize the SAT word list in the same way and have students create their own 'SAT word of the day podcasts'. How cute! The vocabulary those students would be exposed to would be beneficial and hopefully retained.
I decided to subscribe to 'mathgrad' through iTunes. I listened to a podcast about 'Scale, Size, and 100-foot Insects'. It was about 10 minutes and it was long! Luckily I enjoy the content, but I can see where visuals are the key. He kind of lost me along the way -- I am a visual learner! Now I know why math is best taught with visuals! =) That is one of the downsides with some podcasts -- they are just audio -- no visual. Something to think about ... I could see a teacher assigning a podcast to listen to and have students write a reflection on their blog or wiki about what they learned.
After that long math podcast, I subscribed to 60-Second Science. Now that is what I am talking about! Quick, informational, interesting, and easy! I put that one on my Google Reader. It has various topics and a new one for each weekday. I am looking forward to what I learn through this one! Did you know that a later school start time could lead to better students? Check out the podcast about it.
Podcasting is a great educational tool. Now I just need some class sets of iPods ... =) Interestingly enough, I bet many of our students already have one -- we can utilize theirs! I think it would be great to start my own podcast. Just imagine -- my tips and ideas on a podcast for other teachers to hear -- I wonder if anyone would subscribe .... =)
I decided to subscribe to 'mathgrad' through iTunes. I listened to a podcast about 'Scale, Size, and 100-foot Insects'. It was about 10 minutes and it was long! Luckily I enjoy the content, but I can see where visuals are the key. He kind of lost me along the way -- I am a visual learner! Now I know why math is best taught with visuals! =) That is one of the downsides with some podcasts -- they are just audio -- no visual. Something to think about ... I could see a teacher assigning a podcast to listen to and have students write a reflection on their blog or wiki about what they learned.
After that long math podcast, I subscribed to 60-Second Science. Now that is what I am talking about! Quick, informational, interesting, and easy! I put that one on my Google Reader. It has various topics and a new one for each weekday. I am looking forward to what I learn through this one! Did you know that a later school start time could lead to better students? Check out the podcast about it.
Podcasting is a great educational tool. Now I just need some class sets of iPods ... =) Interestingly enough, I bet many of our students already have one -- we can utilize theirs! I think it would be great to start my own podcast. Just imagine -- my tips and ideas on a podcast for other teachers to hear -- I wonder if anyone would subscribe .... =)
Thing #16
Library Thing is a neat website allowing you to catalog and tag your favorite books. I can see where this could be very useful. I searched the tag 'geometry' and found all of my favorite geometry books -- "Flatland", "Sir Cumference and the First Round Table", "The Greedy Triangle" and many more. I could use this to list my favorite books for other teachers to use. For example, if a teacher is about to teach radius, diameter, and circumference, they could take a look at Library Thing to search a 'tag' and find a book to help teach that concept. How neat! It also has many social aspects too -- discussions about books, recommendations, sharing book lists, etc. Personally, I could use this site to get new recommendations based on authors and genres that I already love. This is a great way to share some of your favorites and learn about some possible new favorites too!
Thing #15
I have officially signed up for a Delicious account! I could not figure out how to use my gmail account, so I created a Yahoo account to complete this assignment. Check out my bookmarks at
http://delicious.com/martinmath831. It was so easy to do! Once I created an account and downloaded the add-on, I searched for interactive math websites to share with teachers. I picked some of my favorites and tagged them accordingly. How fun!
Sometimes I could not think of very many words to describe or 'tag' the website. With practice, I got better and better! I could certainly use this in my current position -- sharing websites with teachers that they can use to engage students before or during a lesson. Students can really see math in action by using interactive math websites. I can share the ones that I find and teachers can share other bookmarks with me, using Delicious. How neat!
Also -- I can access these bookmarks from any computer with internet access. Talk about user-friendly! I like how I just pushed the 'tag' button and it automatically allowed me to tag it, add a description, and save. Sharing websites with teachers will be a LOT easier! Instead of using email to share resources, I can send an email sharing this Delicious account with websites ready for teachers to use. I can update this Delicious account with new tags and teachers can access it at any time -- How Great!
http://delicious.com/martinmath831. It was so easy to do! Once I created an account and downloaded the add-on, I searched for interactive math websites to share with teachers. I picked some of my favorites and tagged them accordingly. How fun!
Sometimes I could not think of very many words to describe or 'tag' the website. With practice, I got better and better! I could certainly use this in my current position -- sharing websites with teachers that they can use to engage students before or during a lesson. Students can really see math in action by using interactive math websites. I can share the ones that I find and teachers can share other bookmarks with me, using Delicious. How neat!
Also -- I can access these bookmarks from any computer with internet access. Talk about user-friendly! I like how I just pushed the 'tag' button and it automatically allowed me to tag it, add a description, and save. Sharing websites with teachers will be a LOT easier! Instead of using email to share resources, I can send an email sharing this Delicious account with websites ready for teachers to use. I can update this Delicious account with new tags and teachers can access it at any time -- How Great!
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Thing #7a
On my Google Reader, I subscribe to 'Free Technology for Teachers' blog. I found an article out about Sweet Search. It is a way for students to search websites that have been approved and reviewed by educators on the world wide web using this search engine. How interesting! I even included a widget below for you to try it out! There are also 5 search engines so that students can search by subject and/or grade level. How neat! Another free resource!
Thing #14
I chose to explore Quizlet. What a great way to study vocabulary, create your own flashcards, play games with vocabulary and share with friends! I played a few of the existing games that were already on the website that someone else created. That was neat to see all the different ways people use Quizlet. You can choose by subject and topic, standardized tests, or by foreign language to English translation. It was so neat!
I can really see students practicing their vocabulary using these flashcards, or even matching multiplication facts, or square numbers and their square root. They could also match a verbal description to an equation. The possibilities are endless. Students can even share their flashcards with their classmates and have them try to beat their time in matching them. How neat!
Teachers could even assign a vocabulary list to each of her 30 students in a class, have the students all generate their own flashcards, and by the end the teacher has 30 different flashcard sets generated to share and use all year! Not only can these flashcards be shared, but students and teachers can log in to discuss the flashcards too, bringing another social aspect to the website. There is also a blog attached to the Quizlet website, offering discussion and ideas for uses. Another great and free resource!
I can really see students practicing their vocabulary using these flashcards, or even matching multiplication facts, or square numbers and their square root. They could also match a verbal description to an equation. The possibilities are endless. Students can even share their flashcards with their classmates and have them try to beat their time in matching them. How neat!
Teachers could even assign a vocabulary list to each of her 30 students in a class, have the students all generate their own flashcards, and by the end the teacher has 30 different flashcard sets generated to share and use all year! Not only can these flashcards be shared, but students and teachers can log in to discuss the flashcards too, bringing another social aspect to the website. There is also a blog attached to the Quizlet website, offering discussion and ideas for uses. Another great and free resource!
Thing #13
Image Generators are very neat and allow for customization and interest in your blog.
I created a trading card to illustrate another way to incorporate math vocabulary instruction. I used the Trading Card Maker to do this one. I used a photo from my own picture collection from my trip to the Dallas World Aquarium. I uploaded the picture, chose the color of the card, and then typed my title, subtitle, and description. Then I saved the image to my computer. It was easy and fun to do! What a great way for students to keep track of their math vocabulary through trading cards! They can find pictures that they took, or on Flickr Creative Commons to create trading cards using vocabulary terms. Having a visual really helps students remember the math term.
I also created an online image generator using the Happy Face Generator. This one is just for fun! It was easy to do -- I chose the comic-styled smiley face toons, and picked the smiley at the beach. Then I typed my text and saved the image to my computer. How neat!
Check out the mosaic I created from photos I took at the Dallas World Aquarium last year. I used the Mosaic Maker to create a 2x2 grid, chose the color of background, and uploaded my photos. It looks great! We could really utilize this in education for students to display their work in new ways. It was fun, easy to do, and it a great visual to capture attention!
I created a trading card to illustrate another way to incorporate math vocabulary instruction. I used the Trading Card Maker to do this one. I used a photo from my own picture collection from my trip to the Dallas World Aquarium. I uploaded the picture, chose the color of the card, and then typed my title, subtitle, and description. Then I saved the image to my computer. It was easy and fun to do! What a great way for students to keep track of their math vocabulary through trading cards! They can find pictures that they took, or on Flickr Creative Commons to create trading cards using vocabulary terms. Having a visual really helps students remember the math term.
I also created an online image generator using the Happy Face Generator. This one is just for fun! It was easy to do -- I chose the comic-styled smiley face toons, and picked the smiley at the beach. Then I typed my text and saved the image to my computer. How neat!
Check out the mosaic I created from photos I took at the Dallas World Aquarium last year. I used the Mosaic Maker to create a 2x2 grid, chose the color of background, and uploaded my photos. It looks great! We could really utilize this in education for students to display their work in new ways. It was fun, easy to do, and it a great visual to capture attention!
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Thing #12
This slideshow is an example of a possible Math Vocabulary activity. Students could create a slideshow using pictures that they find or pictures that they take, showing a visual or non-linguistic representation of the math term. Using the 'puzzle' feature, students can guess what the word is, before the picture is complete. That could even be a competitive game for students to really get engaged with the vocabulary. What a great way for students to document their learning and for them to see their work and share it! I enjoyed creating this slideshow using Slide.com. It was easy to do! Thank you for another free educational technology resource!
Photo Credits from Flickr Creative Commons:
Math - Teacher Education - 3D Shapes by Old Shoe Woman
Tiger Reflection by Tambuko the Jaguar
Happy Pi Day (to the 69th digit)! by Mykl Roventine
Thing #11
Flickr is amazing! What a great way to organize your photos so that they are in a safe place and organized. It makes my cluttered and unorganized photos look like a hot mess! I love the idea of sharing my photos too. Isn't that the whole point of a picture -- to capture a moment, share a moment, and remember the moment? Pictures can be safe here! Students can also do a great digital photo project -- capturing images of prisms, pyramids, cones, cylinders, and spheres for a Geometry or Measurement project. They can upload those to Flickr for safe-keeping, organization, and for sharing! How wonderful!
This photo uploaded by Old Shoe Woman is a great example of a triangular pyramid. The photo URL is http://www.flickr.com/photos/judybaxter/2614613280/.
The license terms of this work can be found at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/deed.en. What a great project -- I am sure that the kids loved it! The gumdrops are the vertices (plural for vertex) and the toothpicks are the edges. I can really see kids getting engaged with this activity. Once the three-dimensional shapes are created, students can take pictures of them, upload them to Flickr and even create an informational powerpoint about their project. How exciting!
I used the tag of 'math' to help me find this one. I found several other pictures that I plan to use in the future by searching 'pi' and 'reflection'. It is amazing the artistry found on Flickr. These photographers range from novice to expert. Some of the images captured are breathtaking, some are funny, and some are personal. Flickr is a great find! WOW -- another free resource to use in education!
This photo uploaded by Old Shoe Woman is a great example of a triangular pyramid. The photo URL is http://www.flickr.com/photos/judybaxter/2614613280/.The license terms of this work can be found at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/deed.en. What a great project -- I am sure that the kids loved it! The gumdrops are the vertices (plural for vertex) and the toothpicks are the edges. I can really see kids getting engaged with this activity. Once the three-dimensional shapes are created, students can take pictures of them, upload them to Flickr and even create an informational powerpoint about their project. How exciting!
I used the tag of 'math' to help me find this one. I found several other pictures that I plan to use in the future by searching 'pi' and 'reflection'. It is amazing the artistry found on Flickr. These photographers range from novice to expert. Some of the images captured are breathtaking, some are funny, and some are personal. Flickr is a great find! WOW -- another free resource to use in education!
Thing #10
Creative Commons is a great way to share and use copyrighted work with 'some rights reserved'. I am glad that many artists, musicians, photographers, playwrights, and authors have agreed for others to use their work with 'some rights reserved'. What a great place for students and teachers to find images, quotes, music, etc. for their digital media! I really enjoyed watching the videos provided for Thing #10. It was funny when the lady in the video mentioned about a teacher who found out from another teacher from a friend's email that someone said in a training that .... how true! That is usually how we find out about things in the education world! I had not seen the CC logo before on websites that I visit -- but I will certainly look for those details now. I think this could really open up the world of digital content for students. They can use these works to be creative and expand and make a masterpiece of their own to share with others to expand and make a new masterpiece. This is only the beginning!
Monday, June 28, 2010
Thing #9
I enjoyed playing in the Sandbox! I am so proud of myself -- I created Fishing for Knowledge. It is going to be great -- I plan to add to it as I learn different Web 2.0 Things. I hope to hear from a lot of you about my Burning Question! =)
I first looked at the example page and that gave me an idea of how to do it. Then I followed the instructions on the Sandbox Page Instructions. I even used the font and color tools so that I could change to Comic Sans and blue and purple. I added a bullet list by clicking on that tool. Formatting the wiki was very simple -- I was surprised at how quickly I caught on! To add an image, I uploaded my picture of Gumbo and added that picture to my page. How fun! I added a link to my blog using the link button -- again -- so easy to use! I also did the stretch activity -- check it out on Fishing for Knowledge.
I added a link to my page and I also shared a website on the Sites We Like page and visited the sandbox of two classmates and answered their burning questions. Busy busy!
I enjoyed playing in the sandbox. I lost myself a bit -- lost track of time!
I first looked at the example page and that gave me an idea of how to do it. Then I followed the instructions on the Sandbox Page Instructions. I even used the font and color tools so that I could change to Comic Sans and blue and purple. I added a bullet list by clicking on that tool. Formatting the wiki was very simple -- I was surprised at how quickly I caught on! To add an image, I uploaded my picture of Gumbo and added that picture to my page. How fun! I added a link to my blog using the link button -- again -- so easy to use! I also did the stretch activity -- check it out on Fishing for Knowledge.
I added a link to my page and I also shared a website on the Sites We Like page and visited the sandbox of two classmates and answered their burning questions. Busy busy!
I enjoyed playing in the sandbox. I lost myself a bit -- lost track of time!
Thing #8
I love wikis! I think it would be great to begin one for my middle school math teachers. I am always creating and finding things to share with teachers. A wiki would organize those things and we could edit those ideas and build on them. Collaboration is where it all begins! I really love the idea of building that community of learners and collaborators .... =) Teachers have a lot to share -- things that work and things that don't work. I think it would be great for teachers at different campuses to share successes with teachers at other campuses -- how wonderful! WOW! A whole list of ideas of things that work -- I would certainly love to see that list!
I checked out a few wikis and spent some time at each wiki to check things out! At 'Schools in the Past', students list their interview answers. That is the extent of that wiki -- just a list. Perhaps the students will do something additional with the information -- I would love to see a Venn Diagram in action on a wiki! Visitors can also add their comments to the wiki. The class is comparing and contrasting school in the past and schools today. It is a neat way to bring technology into a paperless lesson!
The 'FHS Wolves Den' had a lot of different links and activities. It was visually appealing to me and offered lots of information. I think it is so neat how teachers take these wikis and really engage and empower students to own their thinking and learning. Imagine -- using technology to engage the digital learner -- makes sense!! I can see where the students want to come to a wiki like this one to see what else is there -- almost like they don't want to miss anything. Neat!
The most adorable wiki that I have viewed so far is the 'Kindergarten Counting Book'. It is the cutest! I can just imagine those students having so much fun counting objects, taking pictures, and adding them to the wiki. I am so proud of them! The teacher even joins in with her 29 carrots at dinner! A few of the numbers still do not have a picture -- I may join in and add ... =)
Wikis are great! I can see a wiki in my future!
I checked out a few wikis and spent some time at each wiki to check things out! At 'Schools in the Past', students list their interview answers. That is the extent of that wiki -- just a list. Perhaps the students will do something additional with the information -- I would love to see a Venn Diagram in action on a wiki! Visitors can also add their comments to the wiki. The class is comparing and contrasting school in the past and schools today. It is a neat way to bring technology into a paperless lesson!
The 'FHS Wolves Den' had a lot of different links and activities. It was visually appealing to me and offered lots of information. I think it is so neat how teachers take these wikis and really engage and empower students to own their thinking and learning. Imagine -- using technology to engage the digital learner -- makes sense!! I can see where the students want to come to a wiki like this one to see what else is there -- almost like they don't want to miss anything. Neat!
The most adorable wiki that I have viewed so far is the 'Kindergarten Counting Book'. It is the cutest! I can just imagine those students having so much fun counting objects, taking pictures, and adding them to the wiki. I am so proud of them! The teacher even joins in with her 29 carrots at dinner! A few of the numbers still do not have a picture -- I may join in and add ... =)
Wikis are great! I can see a wiki in my future!
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Thing #7
I think that commenting on blogs allows the reader to interact with the author. I think it is a powerful communication tool. I don't ever remember interacting with an author before (except in 3rd grade when an author came to visit our school ...) Times have changed -- thank goodness -- and I am excited about this new communication tool. It allows me to be connected to my colleagues and learn about what they are learning about. I am increasing my knowledge base by staying connected and learning from their blogs. It is so neat!
I was a little nervous commenting on those 'big blogs' out there! The comment that I made will not be posted until the author reads and approves it. I think that is a good idea for the 'big blogs'! There needs to be some policing of comments. Otherwise there would be more comments than posts -- especially to the blogs that millions subscribe to!
Overall, I think that commenting is important -- it lets the author know that you are reading, and lets them know about your thoughts, opinions, and questions.
So that settles it --> commenting = interaction. (There goes my math brain again!)
I was a little nervous commenting on those 'big blogs' out there! The comment that I made will not be posted until the author reads and approves it. I think that is a good idea for the 'big blogs'! There needs to be some policing of comments. Otherwise there would be more comments than posts -- especially to the blogs that millions subscribe to!
Overall, I think that commenting is important -- it lets the author know that you are reading, and lets them know about your thoughts, opinions, and questions.
So that settles it --> commenting = interaction. (There goes my math brain again!)
Thing #6
Now that I have Google Reader, I have saved so much time looking at various websites for information -- now it comes to me! That is amazing!
I was checking out my RSS feed on the blog, 'Free Technology for Teachers' and I found a great interactive website on wind turbines. Students can learn about the alternative form of energy and create their own wind turbine. Talk about project-based learning! I can see kids really getting excited about this one! I have really enjoyed looking at the postings of this blog. I love free resources! (That was one of my goals for this class -- to learn about free resources!) What great ideas, templates, projects, and lessons that are already created! Great stuff! This project also gets the kids passionate about the environment too -- it is never too early to get that message ...
I also subscribe to 'TeachPaperless', and found an interesting post about why a teacher wants her students to blog. In a semester-long course, students are expected to post about what they are learning, comment on posed questions, and respond to each other. The teacher found that 80% of the students posted MORE than expected. WOW! That really does show that the students are engaged and excited about their learning. They are going above and beyond to really get their ideas flowing. They have owned their learning. Isn't that the goal?? That is wonderful! Keep blogging and keep learning!
Checking my RSS feeds on the Google Reader each day will be informative and addictive! I will want to check it every evening. I am learning quite a bit and enjoying the online class -- Thanks!
I was checking out my RSS feed on the blog, 'Free Technology for Teachers' and I found a great interactive website on wind turbines. Students can learn about the alternative form of energy and create their own wind turbine. Talk about project-based learning! I can see kids really getting excited about this one! I have really enjoyed looking at the postings of this blog. I love free resources! (That was one of my goals for this class -- to learn about free resources!) What great ideas, templates, projects, and lessons that are already created! Great stuff! This project also gets the kids passionate about the environment too -- it is never too early to get that message ...
I also subscribe to 'TeachPaperless', and found an interesting post about why a teacher wants her students to blog. In a semester-long course, students are expected to post about what they are learning, comment on posed questions, and respond to each other. The teacher found that 80% of the students posted MORE than expected. WOW! That really does show that the students are engaged and excited about their learning. They are going above and beyond to really get their ideas flowing. They have owned their learning. Isn't that the goal?? That is wonderful! Keep blogging and keep learning!
Checking my RSS feeds on the Google Reader each day will be informative and addictive! I will want to check it every evening. I am learning quite a bit and enjoying the online class -- Thanks!
Thing #5
RSS feeds are incredible! I am about to check out all of my favorite websites and see if they have an RSS feed. I am about to get out of control!! Watch out! Okay -- let me pace myself! =)
I checked out an interesting story on the Tech Learning blog. It is about the essential classroom learning technologies needed in the classroom. It really makes sense! We need a computer with internet access, a projector and screen so that all kids can see, and some speakers. WOW -- talk about a simple list -- most classrooms have these items. So what is holding us back? TIME? Creativity? Timidity? Restricted access? TIME? (I think I already mentioned this one -- so did the author of the blog ...) We have to remember that using technology with our digital learners is time worth spending!
I enjoyed looking at the RSS feeds using my Google Reader! Okay -- I have to admit -- I have never had a Google Reader! Now that I do -- I don't know what I did without it! News and information that I want to know coming straight to me -- perfect!
I checked out an interesting story on the Tech Learning blog. It is about the essential classroom learning technologies needed in the classroom. It really makes sense! We need a computer with internet access, a projector and screen so that all kids can see, and some speakers. WOW -- talk about a simple list -- most classrooms have these items. So what is holding us back? TIME? Creativity? Timidity? Restricted access? TIME? (I think I already mentioned this one -- so did the author of the blog ...) We have to remember that using technology with our digital learners is time worth spending!
I enjoyed looking at the RSS feeds using my Google Reader! Okay -- I have to admit -- I have never had a Google Reader! Now that I do -- I don't know what I did without it! News and information that I want to know coming straight to me -- perfect!
Thing #4
Blogging is a great way to express yourself. After reading 5 different blogs, I can see why people follow a blog -- you want to find out what happens next.
The blog about the duck was adorable! What a great way to practice writing skills in the 2nd grade. I can see where a math teacher could utilize blogging about a problem of the week or for students to record how they solved a problem. They could even ask each other questions ...
I am getting into this blogging thing -- I am learning more every day!
I hope that through this whole thing, I will get better at blogging! I loved the examples that I saw today. Some were very formal and informational, and some were casual and more like diary entries. What I loved about them all was that each blog represented the author and the reader both -- I guess that is what blogging is all about. Since I am a 'math brain', I believe in word economy. (Let's get straight to the point!) I need to work on my reflective writing and using my 'voice' when I write. It is getting there!!
The blog about the duck was adorable! What a great way to practice writing skills in the 2nd grade. I can see where a math teacher could utilize blogging about a problem of the week or for students to record how they solved a problem. They could even ask each other questions ...
I am getting into this blogging thing -- I am learning more every day!
I hope that through this whole thing, I will get better at blogging! I loved the examples that I saw today. Some were very formal and informational, and some were casual and more like diary entries. What I loved about them all was that each blog represented the author and the reader both -- I guess that is what blogging is all about. Since I am a 'math brain', I believe in word economy. (Let's get straight to the point!) I need to work on my reflective writing and using my 'voice' when I write. It is getting there!!
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Thing #2
WOW! Students are digital learners. The education system needs to keep up and learn from them! Students are so engaged with technology. I have seen many students engaged in math using the Promethean Slates. It is amazing! Teachers are more excited to teach and students are more excited to learn. I really think that we can incorporate more technology into our lessons to make them powerful and engaging for the digital learner. Using Excel and interactive websites is just the beginning... I have signed up for this class so that I can experience 23 things that I may be able to apply to my situation. I am excited to learn and I am willing and able to try to experience a day in the life of a digital learner. That article about a day in the life of a digital learner was fantastic -- what a dream school day! Digital experiences at every turn ... that is the ultimate. We may need to take baby steps in that direction, but we will get there!
Thing #1
I am excited to be a part of Learning 2.0 23 Things!
In response to Thing #1:
I think that the most challenging habit of Highly Successful Lifelong Learners will be to "create my own toolbox". It will be challenging because of time and budget constraints. It is difficult to create a toolbox with few resources. However, I will discover many free resources and borrow some along the way!
As a lifelong learner, I find that "teaching and mentoring others" comes naturally for me. I enjoy teaching others -- then I learn it better myself. That will be the easiest habit for me to continue.
The most important habit for me to engage in this online course is to "accept responsibility for my own learning". I will need to really set time aside to make this learning experience the most it can be! It is up to me to learn and discover and practice and explore and "play"!
In response to Thing #1:
I think that the most challenging habit of Highly Successful Lifelong Learners will be to "create my own toolbox". It will be challenging because of time and budget constraints. It is difficult to create a toolbox with few resources. However, I will discover many free resources and borrow some along the way!
As a lifelong learner, I find that "teaching and mentoring others" comes naturally for me. I enjoy teaching others -- then I learn it better myself. That will be the easiest habit for me to continue.
The most important habit for me to engage in this online course is to "accept responsibility for my own learning". I will need to really set time aside to make this learning experience the most it can be! It is up to me to learn and discover and practice and explore and "play"!
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