Thing #3

Some ways I can use a blog in my future classroom is for Discussion boards, newsletters, and to post homework assignments. D2L may be difficult to navigate for some students, but the blog is very simple.

If I wanted my class to discuss the reading assigned as homework, I could post an excerpt and ask a few questions to get the conversation going. Students need different aspects when talking about literature because more often than not is something pointed out that one may not have notice when first reading the literature.

I can also use  my blog to give ideas to other instructors on what to read, which parts of certain novels are the most rich in detail, and other subject areas along those lines.

Thing #2

The only experience I have with blogs was in middle school when myspace was very popular. Sometimes my friends would write their ideas, beliefs, or stories and any one could read whatever they posted if they were friends with that person. I never posted any myself because I never felt like I had much to say.

I just used my name so everyone will know I author the blog, and I have to use "Thing #" as all my titles. I did not have a option, but I would have picked that title anyway because it is simple.

Creating this blog was very easy because the teacher went step by step with the students. However, if someone just sat me at a computer and asked me to make a blog I would have no idea where to begin.

I made my avatar to look like me because why would I want to change my appearance? That would be awkward in my opinion if someone heard my name and when they looked at me I didn't look like my avatar. The clothes were more difficult to pick out because my typical school outfit is not a choice when making the avatar.

Thing #1

The habit that comes easiest to me out of the 7 1/2 Habits of Highly Successful Lifelong Learning is habit #2: accept responsibility for your own learning. I have always been a fast learner, and my grades have always been exceptional. Growing up I always taught myself, never needed help with my homework. My parents were hardly home long enough for me to ask for assistance, and it didn't take long for my homework to get so complicated that they didn't know how to help. I feel the most accomplished when I do assignments on my own and can take full responsibility of the grade I receive afterwards.
The most difficult of the habits for me is #4: have confidence in yourself as a competent and effective learner. This is because no matter how smart I am, I know someone is smarter. I never feel like my best is good enough even if I get an A on an assignment. I always feel as if I can do better no matter the outcome. I always second guess my questions, thinking that I may have a stupid question so I just don't ask 99% of the time. I know people say there are no stupid questions, but really there is. Every classroom has that one person who asks a thousand questions that are meaningless, and I don't want that person to be me.
I want to gain a better knowledge of technology by using Web 2.0 tools. I am good with computers, but some people are masters of technology. I think this course will help me increase my technological skills. This blog was much easier to set up than what I expected. Blogs have always sounded complicated to me, but this was a piece of cake.