Thing #12

I explored Google Calendar and found it very easy to set times and dates for my meetings and events. This tool can be helpful to both the students and me as the teacher. Students can put reminders in their calenders about homework assignments and upcoming due dates for papers. I can also share my events with my students if I have their email address. I will require all of my students to create a professional email address if they do not already have one because they are needed for college and in the real world. I could not survive without my gmail account. I did not want to include a link to my calendar because it is personal to me. I already created a Picasa account before this class because I edited pictures to give to my friends as Christmas presents. Picasa is a helpful photo-editing tool, which can be resourceful to my students in projects.

Here is a picture of one of my friends that I edited with Picasa.

Thing #9

<a href="http://www.imagechef.com/ic/word_mosaic/" target="_blank"> <img src="http://cdn-img1.imagechef.com/w/130219/399101effe463cfa.gif" alt="ImageChef Word Mosaic - ImageChef.com"/> </a>

 

The first site I explored was the Custom Sign Generator, but there was too much going on. The next generator I tried out was Image Chef. I used a star and "First, Finest, Forever" which is one of my sorority's symbol and sayings. I loved how I could combine the two into one picture. Image Chef could be used by a student to portray a vocabulary word using three words and a shape that correspond with the vocabulary word. I looked at the other generators but I couldn't figure out them for the most part. Image Chef has the cutest idea anyways.

http://www.imagechef.com/ic/make.jsp?tid=Beach

This picture is also from Image Chef. It has lots of generators to create all kinds of images. This allows students to be crafty and creative in classroom projects. There is a sticky note generator, a flower art generator, and the list goes on.

Thing #8

 
 Photos by: Erik Kastner

Flickr and Flickr mash ups make being creative much more feasible. Some people are not good artists, but signs are easier to make with picture letters. Using the Spell with Flickr was so simple. The only issue I had was uploading the pictures to my blog. I had to upload each individual photograph to the desktop and then upload them to my blog. The inventor did not have a good page layout, but making the word was not difficult to understand. I plan on printing my creation in color and framing it to hang up in my room! This tool can also be useful in the class. Instead of using Times New Roman to label a station or put my name outside the classroom door, I can use Spell with Flickr. I could also have each student be assigned a vocabulary word, use this tool to represent it, and then define their word. Interactive lessons with student presentations allows for more engagement in the classroom. Sharing photographs online is interesting. There are so many effects a person can make to a picture to enhance certain parts of it. However, it can be dangerous. If a photograph that you did not originally take is used in a presentation, then you are liable to be sued for plagiarism. Always cite your pictures!

Thing #7

My experience on Flickr was good. I found what I wanted, which was the ocean, quickly by searching the popular tags. I did not want to set up an account with Flickr because I already have an account with a different photo sharing program called Instagram. None of my friends have a Flickr so I would be looking at strangers' photos which is weird to me. Flickr seems more of a program for aspiring photographers because the pictures look professionally edited. I could not figure out how to upload the image so I took a screen shot of the photo instead. It gives me motivation for Spring Break that is in a few weeks! Flickr seems like a good site to find photographs for slide show presentations so I will be returning to Flickr in the near future. Remembering to cite the photographer is very important because of moral and ethical reasons, not to mention the possibility of a lawsuit if a person fails to cite the photographer also. This picture of the beautiful ocean waves was taken by Victor López Donís.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/viltorinox/8489683438/lightbox/

Thing #6

I found a site called "Opinsy". People post debate topics and you click "agree" or "disagree" and can see the percentages of who all has voted. I like how you can agree or disagree with any post, but in order to join the discussion you have to create an account. The topics vary from gun control to aliens. A person can even make up their own topic for the cyber community to vote on. I could see it in schools and libraries for a political science class or english class. It would be interesting to see the anonymous opinions from not only fellow classmates but from people all across the globe. A person's opinion on a subject in California will be much different than a person who is from Kentucky.

http://www.go2web20.net/site/?a=Opinsy

Thing #4

As people, we need relationships with others; we were created for interaction. Commenting creates a sense of community which helps in our relationships. Some people are so introverted that expressing their thoughts over the internet rather than through face-to-face communication is easier for them.

A few things I read that I thought were interesting when it comes to commenting is that reinforcing our opinions is best when we have real world examples to back it up. For instance, if I disagree with a peer's post I can state why with a personal experience. Another tidbit of information I never realized before was that bloggers don't write for just their personal growth, they want others to read and respond to their posts. So make commenting a regular practice with well crafted responses.

The classmates posts that I commented on where Amber Law's Thing 1, Megan Singleton's Thing 1, Jeffrey Doyle's Thing 2, Raleigh Scott's Thing 3, and Kerri Wheeler's Thing 1. Some of these I chose because I knew the person, others because of their content. The Thing 1 posts were very interesting to see the differences and similarities between everyone on the Learning Habits. I enjoyed reading everyone's opinions and giving my own in return. Some of the posts had advice on how to fix a bad habit, or how to enhance one that I do well.

The outside posts that I commented on were "Why Stretching is Just as Important as Exercise" and "Created by God...For God". I chose these two blogs because they are different topics so I will have various responses. The article about stretching gave me tips for why it is important and what kind of stretching is the best. I commented how I was surprised to learn a few things from reading, and also a problem with my shins I get when I do not stretch properly. For the second article, the title caught my eye and I decided to read on. The article really spoke to me on all levels of what I am struggling with in my life. I commented on how I related to the author's story and asked questions that are so spiritual that I doubt she will answer me. We will see!

Thing #11

The easiest method to search for newsfeeds is the Google Blog Search. I tried all the methods, but the most clear and easiest to navigate out of all to me was Google. I think this is because the RSS is made through Google. Technorati was the most confusing to me because it had so many topics all over the place. I did not find any unusual sites because I did not search for anything uncommon. I found religious, health, and women blogs to add to my RSS feed along with a CNN and a FOX News blog. I have six total sunscriptions all various in topics that interest me and are useful to the stage of my life that I am in.

Thing #10

I like that I can pick which subscriptions show up in my news feed, and I can sort the information in different ways. I chose blogs that pertained to the world and lifestyle around me. I have subscriptions to news, biblical devotions, and recipes. Teachers can use this to simplify what they read on the web. The information is coming to the teacher rather than the teacher having to constantly look up items. I would make a public blog, but I don't feel like I have anything interesting to say or that would be important to anyone except my fellow classmates.

Thing #5

When I read the "What is Web 2.0?" article I got a clear understanding of what Web 2.0 is designed to do. The article has tools categorized with explanations for each. "Web 2.0 is the Future of Education" believes Web 2.0 will have a greater impact than the advent of the printing press, but why don't more people know about it then? There are always going to be people who enjoy the old fashion way. I do myself. When you write out a paper you catch more mistakes than you do typing it out. If a person always has a computer to rely on then how will they do anything for themselves? It reminds me of when the graphing calculator started getting more advanced. Once mathematics got harder and the math more complicated, students began to rely on the calculator for everything. Basic division and multiplication became forgotten. What happens when everything is online and the power goes out? If all people know is how to type, imagine how atrocious the handwriting will be. My attitude may be this way because I am an English Major. School 2.0 means to me a school system entirely technological, which will make things faster, but that allows for many problems to arise. Many students of School 2.0 will have an opportunity to share ideas all across the globe. Everything will be online, mobile, and networking will play a big role in every day life.