I really enjoyed this "class." I put that in quotes because it was really fun, so I'm not even sure I would call it that! :)
The 23 Things have really given me some great tools to spice up my classroom teaching! This is such a technology driven time period when every student walking in my door has a Facebook, Myspace, or cell phone they can text on from under their desk! It is so important to reach out to students by integrating things they are interested in into the lessons and even outside the classroom. I know I won't be able to incorporate ALL 23 things, or maybe not even more than one starting off, but I am definitely going to make the push toward a technology powered and FUN classroom! There are so many tools at my disposal just waiting to be used.
I loved the 23 Things, and would definitely be interested in learning some new "things" in the future!
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Thing #23- Ning
My overall impressions of Ning are that it is very cool and user friendly! I really like the Classroom 2.0 Ning because it gives me a place to ask questions and see others questions about technology in the classroom. I think it's so neat how it emails the group members when something is posted so they don't have to check it every ten minutes. I think that is helpful and one major reason why responses to questions and comments are so quick on the Ning.
I think Ning is much more conducive to a classroom than MySpace and Facebook. As I stated in my previous post, there is such a fine line educators must adhere to on Facebook or Myspace due to it's personal nature. On Ning, there is not as much personal information about the members, so it is a great tool for classrooms! It is also harder to "find" people, so I think it is definitely safer for students! I think it would be a great tool for students to post homework questions. I would like to set up a Ning for my classes and give students a deadline to post questions that I will answer or even a "chat" set up in real time for an hour or so on homework nights.
I think Ning is much more conducive to a classroom than MySpace and Facebook. As I stated in my previous post, there is such a fine line educators must adhere to on Facebook or Myspace due to it's personal nature. On Ning, there is not as much personal information about the members, so it is a great tool for classrooms! It is also harder to "find" people, so I think it is definitely safer for students! I think it would be a great tool for students to post homework questions. I would like to set up a Ning for my classes and give students a deadline to post questions that I will answer or even a "chat" set up in real time for an hour or so on homework nights.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Thing #22- Facebook
My Facebook Page
I am a Facebook guru. Really, I am! :) I use Facebook often to keep up with family and friends and reconnect with old friends.
I think it is important to for educators to know how these sites work because MOST of our students HAVE THEM! It is also critical to teach students that anything they post on the Internet can be seen by anyone around the world. It is an amazing and scary thought. The networking possibilities are endless, but students especially should be careful about what they are telling everyone.
Tammy brings up an awesome point- employers use social networking sites to get background information on potential candidates before hiring, and many of them may use it to check on their employees. It is important to be professional not only in the workplace, but on our social networking profiles! It is all for fun and games, but a quick reminder that employers can see your information along with friends and family members can keep you out of trouble!
I do think there could be educational uses for social networking tools like Facebook. For example, creating a Facebook page for your classes or study tips. However, as educators we must be extremely careful that we don't cross the line between professional/teacher and "friend" with our students when it comes to social networking sites. It is definitely something to think about!
I am a Facebook guru. Really, I am! :) I use Facebook often to keep up with family and friends and reconnect with old friends.
I think it is important to for educators to know how these sites work because MOST of our students HAVE THEM! It is also critical to teach students that anything they post on the Internet can be seen by anyone around the world. It is an amazing and scary thought. The networking possibilities are endless, but students especially should be careful about what they are telling everyone.
Tammy brings up an awesome point- employers use social networking sites to get background information on potential candidates before hiring, and many of them may use it to check on their employees. It is important to be professional not only in the workplace, but on our social networking profiles! It is all for fun and games, but a quick reminder that employers can see your information along with friends and family members can keep you out of trouble!
I do think there could be educational uses for social networking tools like Facebook. For example, creating a Facebook page for your classes or study tips. However, as educators we must be extremely careful that we don't cross the line between professional/teacher and "friend" with our students when it comes to social networking sites. It is definitely something to think about!
Thing #7b- Google Reader Revisited
I found this post in my Google Reader yesterday that piqued my interest since I am a Math teacher. The post informed me of an hour long Webinar tomorrow evening on Egyptian Math. It is supposed to show the history of math and give great ideas for cross-curricular planning with History. I plan to "attend" it! :)
Thing #21- Google Tools
The two tools I chose to explore were Picasa and Sketch Up.
I really like Picasa! I take TONS of photos, and currently I use an editing software online that I like, but it doesn't allow me to save my creations. Picasa is online, easy, FREE, and I can save my photos to it so that I don't lose my work or have to search for them later! I enjoyed playing around with Picasa and uploading to my albums. Here is one of the creations I made.
Google Sketch Up is also really fun and definitely has uses for my classroom! Seventh grade is the second year that students will be introduced to and use solids in math. I especially love how Sketch Up allows the user to "push and pull" the shape to make it smaller or bigger. I would love for students to use this tool and then the measuring tape to find measurements of their solids and then go on to find the area of the base and the volume of the solid. I also think with the push and pull tool, it is easy for students to see the difference in volume of a shape with the change of only a few inches on one side. I think this tool is most useful in middle school because it is visual and hands on. Many of my students have trouble with the measurement concept because it is hard for them to visualize the shapes and the changing of the shapes. Using Google Sketch Up, students don't have to visualize it, they can create it on their own!
I really like Picasa! I take TONS of photos, and currently I use an editing software online that I like, but it doesn't allow me to save my creations. Picasa is online, easy, FREE, and I can save my photos to it so that I don't lose my work or have to search for them later! I enjoyed playing around with Picasa and uploading to my albums. Here is one of the creations I made.
Google Sketch Up is also really fun and definitely has uses for my classroom! Seventh grade is the second year that students will be introduced to and use solids in math. I especially love how Sketch Up allows the user to "push and pull" the shape to make it smaller or bigger. I would love for students to use this tool and then the measuring tape to find measurements of their solids and then go on to find the area of the base and the volume of the solid. I also think with the push and pull tool, it is easy for students to see the difference in volume of a shape with the change of only a few inches on one side. I think this tool is most useful in middle school because it is visual and hands on. Many of my students have trouble with the measurement concept because it is hard for them to visualize the shapes and the changing of the shapes. Using Google Sketch Up, students don't have to visualize it, they can create it on their own!
Thing #20- Google Docs
I guess I have been using Google Docs for quite a while and didn't realize it! Haha!
Here is the document I created. I used a sample picture, but I would really like to get one math related or even one of the front of our school or classroom and use this document for parents to view when school starts. I will link it to my Moodle, which you can find here. Right now there is a password on the 7th grade Math moodle because we used it for a quiz at the end of the year, but after updating it, we will remove the password and my Google document will be available under my class for students and parents to view.
Three ways I can use Google docs/spreadsheets/presentations in my classroom:
1. Google Docs- EASY way for students and parents to see information! Due to the limited availability of Internet to some of my students, I would still send home a paper version, but I would make certain that parents knew where to find an online version so that the excuse "I lost it..." won't apply anymore! :)
2. Spreadsheets- I am the cheer coach at my school. I know there are times that the girls and myself need to get ahold of each other. I have made a spreadsheet (not on Google, but in Excel, you know, the "old school" print it out and copy it? ha!) of each girl and myself and cell and home phone numbers. However, I am almost certain 3/4 of the have lost it by now AND many of them have changed numbers or did not give me every number available to call them. By setting up a Google Spreadsheet, the girls and myself can update it with numbers and contact information anywhere at anytime! Also, there isn't any fear of losing it since it is at our fingertips online. Because this document would include contact information for students, I would definitely have to make it private and add the girls as viewers and users by email addresses!
3. Presentations- WOW! What a great way to do a "group project" without using tons of classtime. Instead of one student having to do all of a presentation or saving to a flash drive or emailing back and forth, all group members can collectively and collaboratively work on a presentation together! I love this feature! It really would have saved me some headaches in college had I known about it! Haha!! :)
Here is the document I created. I used a sample picture, but I would really like to get one math related or even one of the front of our school or classroom and use this document for parents to view when school starts. I will link it to my Moodle, which you can find here. Right now there is a password on the 7th grade Math moodle because we used it for a quiz at the end of the year, but after updating it, we will remove the password and my Google document will be available under my class for students and parents to view.
Three ways I can use Google docs/spreadsheets/presentations in my classroom:
1. Google Docs- EASY way for students and parents to see information! Due to the limited availability of Internet to some of my students, I would still send home a paper version, but I would make certain that parents knew where to find an online version so that the excuse "I lost it..." won't apply anymore! :)
2. Spreadsheets- I am the cheer coach at my school. I know there are times that the girls and myself need to get ahold of each other. I have made a spreadsheet (not on Google, but in Excel, you know, the "old school" print it out and copy it? ha!) of each girl and myself and cell and home phone numbers. However, I am almost certain 3/4 of the have lost it by now AND many of them have changed numbers or did not give me every number available to call them. By setting up a Google Spreadsheet, the girls and myself can update it with numbers and contact information anywhere at anytime! Also, there isn't any fear of losing it since it is at our fingertips online. Because this document would include contact information for students, I would definitely have to make it private and add the girls as viewers and users by email addresses!
3. Presentations- WOW! What a great way to do a "group project" without using tons of classtime. Instead of one student having to do all of a presentation or saving to a flash drive or emailing back and forth, all group members can collectively and collaboratively work on a presentation together! I love this feature! It really would have saved me some headaches in college had I known about it! Haha!! :)
Thing #19- Voice Thread
This was my first encounter with Voice Thread, but I think it is very cool! I really like how there are several different ways to comment, so that every commenter does not necessarily have to have a microphone, but can also type their comments too! It allows for more participation among all commenters!
I think I would like to use this in my classroom in conjunction with presentations. I think Voice Thread is a great way for students to comment on each other's presentations. It could even be possible to have students view their classmates' presentations online and to leave a specific comment about something they liked. This could ensure the teacher that each student viewed all presentations and could be used as a participation or audience grade. I also think that students will appreciate using Voice Thread because it is different from the norm and would definitely be interactive and fun!
I think I would like to use this in my classroom in conjunction with presentations. I think Voice Thread is a great way for students to comment on each other's presentations. It could even be possible to have students view their classmates' presentations online and to leave a specific comment about something they liked. This could ensure the teacher that each student viewed all presentations and could be used as a participation or audience grade. I also think that students will appreciate using Voice Thread because it is different from the norm and would definitely be interactive and fun!
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