Adieu ITEC 7430...I have mastered your 22 Things!

When I first started this class, the 22 Things seemed so daunting! Now that I have done all 22, I could do them again, easy peasy! (Not that I want too!!!!!) Some things were harder than others and some I already knew, but I truly feel like a better teacher from going through them all. I have used quite a few of the "Things" in my classroom so far and have all kinds of ideas to use the rest of them next year. I am excited to finally have some time to flesh out my ideas and start creating a 21st century technology centered classroom!!!

Good bye ITEC 7445...

As I first began ITEC 7445 (Multimedia and Web Design in Education) I was a blank canvas. I had never taken a design class before...I just used my natural born talent to make everything look amazing! Well now that end is here, my natural born talent was not so much a talent as a lucky guess. I can already see myself critiquing my own work and others when it comes to the design elements. My newfound knowledge of HTML has already come into play with my website having hiccups and I have just given it a good dose of HTML TLC to fix it! I never thought I would say this, but thank you HTML. You have been helpful. I no longer feel like a blank canvas when it comes to design...I feel like a work in progress. I can see myself using my design knowledge in helping create and implement with other teachers or on my own amazing worksheets! I do not think my canvas is complete yet, so hopefully more knowledge will be add to create a complete design package!

Webquest Update...again!

O my webquest...how you keep changing! I have it mostly done right now...well as done as a my decision making skills allow. I keep tweaking things, but that is normal for me. I really only have the video and audio left to do. I have left little "to add's" through out my unpublished Weebly so far, but there are not many left! I can see the end in sight!!!

I can say that I tackled HTML and won the battle while building my webquest on Weebly!!! I wanted to put my rubrics up as tables and Weebly was not happy with that idea. So I took my Word docs and saved it as a webpage, opened the webpage, and copy/pasted the code. It worked splendidly...by the end of the 1.5 hours I spent making the tables look exactly the way I wanted on Weebly. Lots of copy/paste, but now they are perfect. Unless I change my requirements again, and then I might throw my computer across the room. :) I feel accomplished for mastering (sort of!) something that scared me before we learned about it.

Thing 21-Share Everyone!

For my Slideshare debut, I chose to show an online tool I found based on an online tool I was introduced to in class (confusing huh? Love it!).  In Thing 12, I was introduced to wallwisher.  I did not blog about my exploration, but was inspired by reading other blogs to create a wallwisher adventure.  I made a wall for a test review where my students could post questions/answers to help one another study. I also posted some questions for them to think about and answered some of their questions.  My students and I loved it since they were not studying by themselves.  However, the site crashed…a lot.  It was not helpful if we could not access it.  So I went hunting for a new wall and found Stixy!  It is amazing and it has post-its (or sticky's)…with different colors!  (The office supply obsessed person inside me cannot get enough!).  It is great for both personal and professional use because you can share the “wall,” make it private, or make it password protected.  By the way, it is FREE!  My favorite word!

My view on Slideshare is rather complicated right now.  I like the concept of it, but it was a trial and error process.  The first presentation I upload, the font got changed and so did my formatting.  I went exploring then and I saw that I could upload a PDF, so that is the option I went with.  Nothing got changed or moved the second time…it was exactly the way I wanted it!  I usually upload my presentations using Google Docs and the students can watch it there or print it.  With Slideshare, I do not have to go through as many steps and it looks just the way I want it to (in PDF format that is).  I really like being able to embed the presentation!  Makes my blog engaging-looking! I can see using Slideshare as a way of students turning in presentations they make, which they either email me or embed in their blogs.  Slideshare is great for not having to juggle all the flash drives, hoping I got everyone’s project on my desktop.  It is quick and easy way to upload and share.  I give it 4 Stars (Minus 1 Star for the changing of my layout)!

Thing 21 - Slideshare stixy.com

 

Thing 20 - Let's Catch It!

Jing is very interesting so far… my computer HATES IT!  Every time I try to use it, my computer freezes and says that it is working improperly.  I like the concept of it, but it is not cooperating with me.  Hopefully by the end of this, I can get it to work in my favor!  


(PS, I did get it to work! This is what I get for getting frustrated and taking a break…I jumped the written gun!)  :)

I can see Jing being a great resource in education.  It is perfect for walking students through what you expect them to do.  The Jing I made was showing new students how to use the Online Textbook and navigate it.  I use the Online Textbook quite often in class and I have tried to create step-by-step directions for students to follow, but they always struggle.  With this Jing, they can watch as they do.  Much simpler!

The image capture function could be great when presenting diagrams.  I could just project the screen shot with the incorporated arrows and text that is easily created instead of taking 30+minutes to create this in Paint or some other program that can be tedious.  I am already excited to Jing some diagrams of electrical circuits!

Another use of Jing in the classroom is to use it for student presentations.  They could create the normal slide presentation, but then add some Jing to it so it is more active.  Instead of a bibliography at the end of the presentation, they could use the video feature to show the different websites they used.  The more active the presentation is, the more engaged the students will become!  I am ready to Jing some more!!!

Thing 19 - Google my Love!

I have been using Google Docs for the past few years.  It is something I usually depend heavily upon since I do a lot of work at home and I have a tendency to lose my flash drives (yes I have more then 1 and I lose each of them daily).  I just upload whatever document I am working on to Google Docs or I just make a new document in Google Docs. It is a life saver and a convenience I have learned to not live without.  I have been teaching my students all year about Google Docs so they do not have to borrow a friend's flash drive.  They are quickly becoming as addicted as I am!

To show all the possibilities of Google Docs, I chose to have my blog post be in a Google Doc!  I hope you learn to love Google Docs as much as I do!!! Click here for access to the grand world of more Google love.

Thing 18 - Being social is a good thing!

Wow.  Classroom 2.0 is very overwhelming!  I looked at the website over a week’s worth of time, trying to take in as much information as possible, but I think I still need more time before I have seen everything I want to.  I really did like Classroom 2.0 and I think I am going to join them.  I like the idea of having a professional social network where I can pose questions and get help from outside people.  Sometimes you just need a new eye to see the solution to your problem.  I read some discussions where I wanted to comment, but could not since I am not a member yet.  I liked how many different groups there with different focuses on for each, so I can get my fill on every topic I am fascinated by. 

I really enjoyed reading a discussion on “Looking for examples of science classrooms using web 2.0”.  I found the discussion by searching Groups for “science.”  The discussion was started in 2009 and has posts as late as 2010.  They were offering great ideas and suggestions for Web 2.0 in the science classroom.  I am interested in Prezi now.  Click here for the presentation the author of the discussion post created based on feedback to her post using Prezi.  I hope one day (when my membership is approved of course!) to be able to take part in a discussion just like this one.  Classroom 2.0 is an extremely helpful and awe-inspiring website for educators to join and find help/ideas from other educators who are just like them!

Thing 17 - Video Sharing = too many memories

I have never really been hooked into the world of YouTube.  I think the videos are funny that people show me and I like being able to find music videos I want to see, but I cannot spend hours upon hours just searching like a lot of people I know.  That being said, it does not mean I am not a fan!  When I actually have something I want to look up, youtube.com is the best place to go and it is always my first stop.  I can always find good videos to show in class that helps my students learn a concept based on a lab we may be able to complete.  Sadly, we cannot access youtube.com from school, so I have to use a YouTube convert to download the video, but that does not take long. 

When I was searching for some videos that relate to physical science, I decided to focus on electricity (since I had my webquest floating around in my head).  I found two great videos.  The first video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmbbfKWsFUQ) teaches students about series and parallel circuits without having a lecture.  It is very engaging with the flashes of phrases and images.  The second video is an oldie but goodie!  I had completely forgotten about School House Rocks! Electricity! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8iahHwEfNg) This is a great video for introducing electricity and getting them excited.  Who doesn’t love simple animated music videos???

For my video on how to do something, I struggled since at that moment I did not want to know how to do anything…YouTube is hard to search when you do not have a clear purpose!  I eventually landed upon a video that made me happy: how to sew on a button (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QusBUu0xnCg).  I know how to sew, have since I was little, but I still bring my shirts/jackets to my mom’s for her to do it for me. :)  This video is made for bachelors who probably do not have a mother who lives less than 1 hour away.  It makes me very happy to watch him sew this button…maybe it will motivate me to sew my own!

My last hunt on YouTube was for a nostalgic video.  Well, I had an eccentric childhood so this was the hardest search I completed.  I really wanted to re-live my soccer days, but I could not find a video of a child running away from the ball!  I tried all different types of searches, but no luck.  I guess no one wants to embarrass his or her child too much…or no one is quite like me.  I was pretty bummed after my search produced nothing, but then I had a light bulb.  I would search for my favorite summer past time: Doom 2.  Viola! I found it!  A video of someone kicking Doom 2’s butt to oblivion (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XorJfexzF4M).  I have beaten this game numerous times, while listening to 99x, but I have never been able to do it like this guy did.  It made me want to re-purchase the game (I will not though, because I lost all the cheat codes…). 

I do think there is a place for videos in the classrooms.  Students love making them and showing everyone how cool they are.  They are perfect for culminating projects.  You do not need to know how to edit a video to make one…use the old fashion version of recording, stopping, recording or going to the next scene.  I have been doing it for years with school projects and we never once edited one of our amazing videos (I was always the camera person…I have mad record/rewind skills!).  It is even easier to make a video now that almost all still camera’s and phones have video capabilities. 

As my final word on videos, I decided to show a video that is close to my heart. It is both a how to and a nostalgic video: How to beat Mario in less than 5 minutes.  Happy Videoing!  

Thing 16 - My podcasting debut!

Here is my first attempt at podcasting!  This episode is about how podcasting can be used in the science classroom.  Enjoy!

Thing 15 - Podcast Fanatic

I enjoy listening to podcasts!  I have always loved the radio and it just a talking version of the radio that I can put on my ipod!!!  I already subscribed to a few podcasts, but it was fun to look for new ones to become addicted to.  I wanted to start with finding a science podcast since I have nothing that relates to teaching.  I found a few that I added and I have tried listening to them, but got bored rather quickly.  Most of the podcasts I found sounded really good when I just listened to clips, but when I tried to listen to the whole episode, I could not!  Some of the podcasts were just lectures recorded, which can sadly are boring when you can see the person, but it is 100% worse when all you can do is hear them.   I did find this lecture interesting (http://webcast.berkeley.edu/course_details.php?seriesid=1906978358) but I was not willing to listen to the entire lecture.  I found myself fast forwarding quite often just because I could.  I think I need to keep searching (maybe not science though) and hopefully I will find a professional resource out of a podcast!  

For personal use I went right back to my favorite podcast place: NPR!  I already was subscribing to Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!, so I decide to find my other favorite NPR show that I never catch in the car: This American Life.  This show picks a different topic every week and then different people narrate their stories that relate.  The episode I listened to was about “Oh you shouldn’t have,” which discussed the giving and receiving of gifts, both good and bad.  I really enjoyed listening to the podcast instead of music while I graded, however, I kept trying to “see” the people talking!  When I got wrapped up in a student’s paper, I would click (I was listening from my Google Reader online) and go through all the windows until I realized it was just audio…I did this 5 times!  I love podcasts, but podcasts + grading = NO.  I have to focus and people talking to me does not help the focus.  

Webquest Pre-Plan - It's Electrifying!

For my webquest, I decided to focus on Electricity.  The students will be asked to design a new lab layout including the electrical designs for the electrician.  Once they have submitted their designs, they will help the electrician by evaluating his plan and offering suggestions that will fix the problems he made.

Intro

Welcome future electricians!  I am Principal Circuits and I need your help with the electrical design of our newest Physical Science lab.  As you travel through this journey in figuring out the best electrical layout for the new lab, you will be learning about electricity and electrical circuits.   Once you have made your electrical design proposals, I will still need your expertise in helping me supervise my electrician and make sure he does the best job possible.

Task

-Stage 1: Students will research the basics of electricity including vocabulary words, how electricity works, and types of electrical circuits.

Provided websites, videos, and online labs will be used to build the students’ knowledge on electricity as well as the students creating vocabulary flashcards using quizlet.com.

-Stage 2: Students will implement their knowledge of electricity by submitting electrical diagrams for the Physical Science lab-remodeling project. 

Video will be used to show students how to create electrical diagrams and what the appropriate symbols are for their diagrams.  They will upload their diagrams to VoiceThread where they will explain why they chose the design they did.

-Stage 3: Students will evaluate the work the of the electrician hired to do the Physical Science lab remodel (now that the best model was chosen), where they must critique his work and offer suggestions to help the electrician do the job to the best of his ability.

Students will have to explain to the principal what corrections the hired electrician needs to do and why. They will also give a new plan to help him out.  Students can write a formal letter or create a podcast/audio file presentation.  There will be help videos for either option showing the students how to successfully accomplish the task.

I am still working on all the pieces, trying to flush it out and make it usable.  I am thinking of using this after the students have learned about electricity, but before they have learned about circuits.  I am not sure though :)  Everyday I think on this project, I come up with something new.  My project keeps evolving!!!

Thing 14 - not that delicious

I am on the fence on how I feel about delicious.com.   Being told to just add was not something I enjoyed, since I could not think of anything to add.  I tried looking for links, but I was not inspired.  I did put in some generic links and added in some stuff from my folders on my personal computer (here is my delicious page: http://www.delicious.com/msbeem.  What I do like about delicious is the tagging aspect.  I like being able to add tags so I know all the uses of the link and why I actually tagged it in the first place.  However, I prefer using Google to search and maybe just add to delicious.  
I think the longer I play with delicious and add/tag, the more I will come to like it.  I can see great potential for it with education.  Using delicious to add/tag educational websites and articles I stumbleupon could help students and other teachers locate resources they might be interested in.  It is a great way to share resources instead of trying to remember that website to other teachers, or tell your students about all the great websites out there.  Add/tag them, so anyone can come to your page and see what you are reading/into these days.   I also like the choice of making some links private, so I can keep up with links that are associated with my personal life that my colleagues or students may not be interested in.  I think the more I play with delicious.com and use it both at home and work, the more I am sure it will grow on me.  Right now, it is okay...

Thing 12 - Fun and Scary Photos!

I made a decision to pick one type of tool and explore how it works on multiple sites, so I went on an adventure with dumper.net, befunky.com, and picnik.com using photos from my childhood. Well I am in love with all three now! dumper.net allowed me to showcase my photo in a different way, like putting it in a jigsaw puzzle or rubix cube. I chose to display my brother Chris and I at the petting zoo in a musuem.

Now all those fake people can forever observe our cuteness!

I must say that I had the most fun with befunky.com!  It has more editing options that the user can control besides just putting the image in different sceneraios.  befunky allows you change the style of the image (cartoon, pointillism) and color of the image.  The image below is of my brother and I playing as youngins (I  used Holgaart for the effect, with some color changes and a different border).  I am calling it "An Out of Body Experience."

This is my favorite image out of all of the ones I tried!  I even sent it to my brother and he would like a framed copy for his birthday! :)

The last free photo editor website I went to was picnik.com.  I had heard of it before, but I had never gone exploring before.  This site was very similar to befunky, but had slightly different choices.  This time I chose to auto-fix the photo (it is from the 80's...need some help!), crop it,  and to make it look like it was taken at night with the Night Vision effect.  I also changed the photo slightly by making it look like it was taken with a Polaroid camera.  I am calling this one "The Haunting of an embarassed 6 year old."

I showed all these images to my mother and she now thinks I watch too many horror movies!  I had a blast and think that all family photos will be turned into fun soon!

I have not had many lightbulb ideas on how to use these websites in my classroom.  They will make a nice addition to projects, but I cannot think of something that would spot light them.  I do not really need a scary photo of matter for my lessons.  I do think the students will like them and have fun, but it is not a crucial part of their education.  The basic features of cropping and red eye could come in handy though.  I could assign a photo project of the different types of matter and the students could take the pictures and then edit them any way they want...hmmmm.

Since I would not be using these as a whole group activity, the management of the tools would be quite simple.  I had no problem figuring out how they worked, so a basic demonstration of how each website works and is different would be needed, but then the kids could go out on their own to explore.  The only website that would be difficult is picnik.com since they promonately display their upgrade options (from free to fee), but having a discussion about how you do not need to pay for what is already free could help out.  All three sites are accessible from school, so we could all do this in the computer lab together, which could help with the management of the tools.  I think until I come up with a solid use for these sites in my classroom, I will not fully understand what I am getting myself into.  Hopefully the lightbulb moment will come soon because I had way too much fun!

HTML Code...fun fun fun!

I was extremely hesitant to learn code.  It has never interested me or ever really been a tiny thought bubble in my head.  However, I was told that I was going to be learning code, so I did.  And I actually enjoyed the process of learning it! It was exciting to type a few keys and see my work appear on a blank webpage.  Yes, I only learned the very basic code possible and I Googled the rest to make my page pink, but I still tried my hardest and I am giving myself a pat on the back!


I am not really sure how I am going to use my new found knowledge of code in my classroom though.  The only thing I can think of is when my class blog acts up, I can attempt to solve the problem.  I do not think I am going to be building any websites from scratch any time soon...or ever!  I shall always use websites that come with templates, so all the hard work is already done for me.  All I will have to do is pick some cute background and color scheme and add my content.  I will most likely use Google Sites for my portfolio, but will be keeping my eyes open for another resource that I have not used before so I can go on another adventure!

Thing 11 - Let the show begin!

I chose to not use my Thing 10 photos to create a slideshow. I wanted to experiment creating a simple story of energy transfers throughout the day and a life of Albert the Pig, so I found different images.  His day starts with a hearty breakfast, followed by frolicking in the mud with his brothers, teasing the chickens behind the barn, and ending in a much needed nap.  I really enjoyed using slide.com!  The only downside I came across was my need to use lots of words does not work with the captions.  There is only limited space, so I had to do quite a few re-writes!!!  Please see all attributions below the show, which includes links to the original image and author's page.  I used all images that could be adapted, just in case the captions fell into that category.  I hope I did not mess up the Creative Commons on the images! 

Photo 1 (eat breakfast): Photo by Brandi Jordan at http://www.flickr.com/photos/brandijordan/4692094380/in/gallery-59548637@N06-72157625926674213/

Photo 2 (exercise): Photo by garethjmsaunders at http://www.flickr.com/photos/garethjmsaunders/2172048556/

Photo 3 (cluck): Photo by johnmuk at http://www.flickr.com/photos/jm999uk/187980686/

Photo 4 (nap): Photo by ceiling at http://www.flickr.com/photos/ceiling/394167440/in/gallery-59548637@N06-72157625926674213/

Thing 10 - Flickr this!

I usually use Google to search for images I need for lessons or other purposes, but Flickr is working its way into my heart! At first, I tried to take my journey with Flickr seriously and only look up good solid school content.  That quickly turned into me finding things I just wanted to see!  I decided to look up places and find photos associated with them with Flickr maps.  http://www.flickr.com/map/  I looked up the town where most of my family lives and was shocked to see that most of the pictures were not actually of the town or near the town.  I can only assume that people tagged the town so they would get more views.  However, I was impressed to see a photo of my cousin’s bar!  The person who took it also gave the history of the bar, which I only knew in small snippets. 

I realize that not all photographers will include the history behind their photos, but it did make for an interesting history lesson.  The map feature would be a great way to learn the geography of places that the students are studying.  Another way that Flickr could be utilized in the classroom is through helping students make collages or finding real world application photos for what we are studying (using the Creative Commons search of course!!!).  Math students could find real world math in photos (ie. parabolas, ellipse, etc.) or Science students could identify photos that depict simple machines.  What is currently floating around in my head is to have my students create a story using photos that depicts energy transformations.  I think my mind is stuck on energy!!!

After my playtime was over and my gears were pumping with thoughts of how to use this in my class, I got serious about searching for a theme that I could share with others.  I chose to link my wiki theme to the current unit of study I am teaching.  So…my photo collage below shows the types of energy so the students can associate the vocabulary words with a real life image they are familiar with. 

Chemical Energy

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jst1cam/4188226843/

By  Photography By: Matthew A. Zick

Electrical Energy

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ricardodiaz/3956168977/

By ricardodiaz11

 Light Energy

http://www.flickr.com/photos/spigoo/2099231/

By Spigoo

Sound Energy

http://www.flickr.com/photos/renneville/3358544222/

By Fey Ilyes

Thermal Energy

http://www.flickr.com/photos/matthewvenn/366986755/

By matthewvenn

Nuclear Energy

http://www.flickr.com/photos/heyrocker/3224917444/

By HeyRocker

Thing 9 – I should be locked up in jail

I shall admit it…I break copyright quite often and should be ashamed.  I am ashamed, but it has yet to stop me.  I do try to teach my students about plagiarism and copyright, but then I do not always follow my own lectures.  I post PowerPoints to my website that are not always my words, but sometimes the textbook’s words and images.  I also use pictures from Google searches that I am sure are not Creative Commons allowed.  Now that I know about other ways to ensure that I am a law abiding citizen (not a pun on the movie…I do not kill people or plan on it!), I should practice what I preach and be a good little teacher. 

I found Creative Commons fascinating!  I have never noticed the CC logo before and I have still not seen it know that I know what it is, but that does not mean I will not see it.  I am just not a very observant person!!!  If I ever did see it, I probably just thought…well nothing of it.  It is the non-observant part in me!  I believe that Creative Commons just showed student work a new interesting route.  CC can allow students to use images and content that might not be ordinarily available to them.  Last year, I did a story creation with the science standards.  I had the students draw their own photos so as not to risk using any plagiarized images since we used LINK to create them.  Now, I can send the students on a search for CC so they can incorporate Creative Commons images instead of painfully drawing them (I am painfully trying to decipher them!).  However, CC also has some downsides that concern me.  There are different levels to Creative Commons and it is hard to keep them straight.  I know that it will take time, but now that I know about CC I do not want to mess up!  I did notice that sometimes that I was searching under Creative Commons, it would revert back to a normal search and it took me awhile to notice!  I want to make sure that I respect the original work and its creator, so I do not want to do anything that is not allowed.  I also do not want my students to do something they should not.  Creative Commons requires a lot of vigilance that will take practice looking for…I know that I am not very observant and neither are my students.  We will need to practice, practice, practice!   Hopefully now that I am aware of Creative Commons, I will stop breaking the law by ignoring copyright…well maybe not hopefully, but definitely!!!

Thing 8 - Wiki Adventure

Here is the link to my adventure wiki:  
http://instructionaltechadventure.pbworks.com/w/page/36153834/FrontPage
ENJOY!

Thing 7 - Wiki Wiki What?

Being completely honest, Wiki’s may not be in my near future.  I have done lots of wiki research and I am still slightly confused.  I understand the benefits of wikis.  I love the collaboration part of wiki.  However, 1^st, they are not aesthetically pleasing to me (I am sure I can change this but the ones I looked at were grey and more grey); 2^nd, a lot of the wikis were hard to navigate and it took a lot of guess/click to find anything to look at it; and 3^rd, I am still unsure on how to assess them, but I guess that will come with using them.  

I looked at one wiki (Mr. Lindsay) where it was mostly used as classroom website.  It was well organized, but the wiki part was limited to professional development.  He had a wiki page where he has a q and a session for educators that is available to anyone to ask/answer.  It was interesting, but did not make me jump for joy to use wikis with my kids.  I am not sure if he uses his wiki with his kids, but he did get me thinking about wikis outside of my students.   It did make me realize that I do like wikis for professional purposes.  It seems like a great way to share resources and ideas between teachers.  I know that my amazing grad school/co-worker buddy Andrea and I have talked about suggesting a wiki to our technology specialist instead of her sending out all the emails that link to resources she has found.  She should build a wiki and that way the teachers can also add their 2-cents. 

I did find some really cool wikis that started my brain wheels a-turnin’ and I will probably attempt a wiki at some point, but they are not high on my list of new toys to play with.  I found Schools Then interesting. It was very simple and user friendly since there were not many pages or extra stuff associated with it.  It is just the main page.  I liked the use of a wiki as an interview tool.  It is friendly for all ages and could be used for many purposes. The people that have participated with the wiki have left valuable information that I can only assume has helped the first graders get a big picture of how school was through the years.  I can see my students setting up wikis asking questions to experts that are not normally available to them.  They could find people in the work force to help them learn science and maybe expand the science standards past what I am capable of. 

I really enjoyed Great Debate of 2008!  It was well-organized, amazing content, and clearly showed what the students needed to do.  The wiki showed some amazing work and I would have loved to have participated (even though I am not a student and it was for the 2008 Presidential Election).  This wiki also took measures to protect the wiki by only allowing edits by those who were approved to participate.  This wiki made me really start thinking about how wikis can be used in my class and I came up with an idea (light bulb!).  My advance Physical Science classes did energy debates last year (they were not that great though, but I tried something new and am ready to try again with changes!) and a wiki could be a good place to hold them this year (maybe with all my students…even though my on-level students have problems accessing the Internet unlike my advance students).   A wiki would allow for some great collaboration with the students, even outside of their class period.  I would want to use a similar format like Great Debate of 2008, but on a much smaller scale.  Now…I must produce!  So I guess wikis are in my near future.   Hopefully.  We are currently in the Energy unit now, so this will need to be created quickly (or just done next year...)!

Thing 5-Wait Wait!

So I have been using my Google Reader since last semester (Fall 2010) and did not have a lot of good "things" to read.  With the new additions, it is slowly becoming my favorite thing!  Happily, I am using it mostly for my addiction to "Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!"  I have been working in my classroom while listening to my favority NPR show that I rarely catch when I am in the car.  This is how I learn my news...how else would I have known about Usher and Homer Simpson have a song in common???? (Episode 1/8/11)  I also got to learn about Snookie's new book...I guess that is a good thing?

I have not only been listening to podcasts, but have actually read somethings.  I read an article on how to take the Harry Wong Teacher Effectiveness Quiz.  I do believe that Harry Wong knows a lot about classroom management, but I do not agree with my results.  I fell into the "Good job! You are a master teacher." range.  However, I do not feel I am a "master teacher."  There is more to classroom management then just answering questions...implementation is where the heart of the matter lies!  Give it a shot though...it is interesting!

Thing 4-Get Others Obsessive About Bloggin'

In my search for blogging grading guidelines, I stumbled upon many different ideas!  I was shocked to see the pro-graders versus the anti-graders.  I just assumed that everyone would be pro-grading (I guess I thought this because of the bubble I live in!). While doing Thing 3 and Thing 4, I came up with a blogging assignment for my advance students; I have taken all these thoughts and meshed them with my teacher world.   One thing I read described basing grades on goals (http://chronicle.com/blogs/profhacker/how-are-you-going-to-grade-this-evaluating-classroom-blogs/24935)…what is the end product you want the students take away with them from the blogging experience?  Blogging really is not about punctuation and proper mechanics.  It is about getting your thoughts out there and forming opinions on topics.  If blogs were graded for proper grammar and punctuation, I think my grade would plummet!  I always type straight into a word document, but I do not blog formally.  This is a very informal “thing” for me, so I can be ME and not Teacher.    

The goals I came up for my blogging assignment (which is almost finished being created so I can take action!!!) is for the students to acknowledge due dates (not the most important part by any means, but due dates are important for 8^th graders), create a science dialogue, forming opinions on science topics, and asking insightful questions.  The assignment would be taking their current event presentations and creating blogs.  They would have to find any science article, summarize, and give their opinion on the article.  Within their groups, they will respond and ask questions so they start talking about science and hopefully will help them start forming opinions outside of what their parents and teachers tell them about the world around us.  The main purpose for blogging would be the creation of science dialogue.  What I have noticed from current event presentations is that they do not really care what everyone is saying because they are just listening to someone ramble and they have not read the article themselves.  The blog will help them to take their time thinking of how they really feel and trying to portray that to their peers in a healthy, educational way.  The current event does not have to relate to Physical Science, but it does need to be school appropriate and relate to science in some way.  I have already discussed all this with my advance classes and they are excited!  (The excitement makes me so happy since whenever students hear the phrase “current event” it is usually followed by groans.)

I was reading one blog (http://www.downes.ca/cgi-bin/page.cgi?post=46889) where they were discussing why grading blogs is a ludicrous idea and should never happen, because it is not what blogging is about.  This really got me thinking about how I would grade my students based on the goals I have come up with, since there are so many aspects of blogs that make them different from writing a report or paper.  When I kept reading the comments left on this blog, someone said something that really got my gears turning!  The blogs can be graded not on content, but on the quality of the reasoning, that supports their opinion.  As an adult, it is normal for us not to all agree on one topic, but when we broach these topics, we know to support our opinion with proof.  These are 13/14 year old young adults.  They may not know that you cannot just give an opinion and have someone believe them.  We the teachers need to start helping them develop supporting opinion with fact, so why couldn’t their blogs be graded on this theory?  Well, I did base the rubric on this great idea!  It is still a work in progress, but it is really starting to form a shape that I am ready to give to my students.   

Criteria	Unacceptable	Acceptable	Target
Blog Posts by Students	Student summarized the article found. Opinion was not formulated or defended.	Student summarized the article found and gave opinion.  Opinion was supported briefly, but more research should have been done to fully defend the opinion.	Student summarized the article found and gave opinion.  Opinion was supported with facts and details, along with links to the sources used in the development of the opinion.
Comments or Responses that students leave on other student blogs	Student leaves a comment being “good” or agree/disagree with opinion. Student asks a question that can be answered within the article.	Student leaves a comment that agrees/disagrees and gives a reason why. Student asks a question that requires more research besides the article written about.	Student leaves a comment that agrees/disagrees and gives a detailed reason why with a link to his/her source of information.  Student asks a question that requires more research besides the article written about.

Thing 3-Slightly Obsessive Bloggin'

Blogging…O how I love thee!  Blogging is such a fascinating realm of Web 2.0 because it allows people to come through your screen while simultaneously becoming your long lost friend who have inside jokes.  While reading Will Richardson’s book “Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms” (http://www.amazon.com/Blogs-Wikis-Podcasts-Powerful-Classrooms/dp/1412977479/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1296331417&sr=8-1) my vision of blogs developed and deepened.  I was really moved by Richardson’s labeling of blogging as “connective writing.”  This term flitted around my head and finally settled into my heart…because I want to be a part of this.  To open up and express my true self to anyone is nearly impossible for me due to some anxiety issues I deal with on a daily basis. However, through the use of blogging I can express myself and lean on the shoulders of complete strangers (who are really not strangers because they are my long lost friends!) and become connected when I am not always able to in my “people life”.  “Blog lives” can help people express what is on their mind when people in their “people life” do not always have time or care about what they think (not in a mean way, but in the whole educator trying to explain hormonal 8^th graders to a single businessman…not the best two-sided conversation ever).  Blogs allow people to express themselves and connect with people who do care what they say, because somewhere out there in the Internet, there is at least one person who will read what is posted and care or at least be ambivalent, but think about what you wrote.

Now that I have finished my rant (which I am not sure how it started! Maybe it was the power of blogs J), blogs really do express a person on multiple levels when there is only 1 level of text.   Reading a blog is very similar to reading someone’s journal you “happened” upon while he/she is in the bathroom except the person is not in the bathroom (well…they might be but that would be too much information to post for my comfort!).  You do happen upon blogs by searching and following links, but someone chose to trust the world and post their inner thoughts and opinions for others to read and reflect on.  Reading a blog is a very personal experience, just as writing one is personal.  It might not seem to some that there is no personality in a blog. It is just words linked together with commas and periods.  No big deal.  However, the commas and periods do not matter.  It is what is written, not how it is written. 

For this grad assignment, we were supposed to go and read 5 suggested blogs to help us shape the way our minds view blogs.  The blog that stood out the most to me about supporting my whole “the what vs. the how” idea I have was Patrick’s 5^th Grade post (http://itc.blogs.com/patrick/2005/02/5th_grade.html).  He did not spell correctly or have the best grammar I have ever seen (I am a reader…I have seen lots if you are second guessing my credentials), but his “what” was one of the most powerful pieces of written word I have seen in some time (that might have to do with my reading selection, but I still stand strong on this point!).  Patrick had a blog as a class assignment and this particular post discussed why he was going to make good grades.  You could feel his passion and drive.  You could see him for who he is and not for just his misspelled, bad grammar post.  Blogs offer anyone a way to show the world who they really are, without the world ever knowing them.

To make blogs “connective writing” the connect part needs to be there, besides the actual aspect of just reading.  I can read someone’s personal thoughts and opinions any time (so long as they go to the bathroom long enough for me to happen upon their journal), but I cannot comment on their journal.  If I did, they would know I happened upon it and there goes my invite over again!  However, with blogs you can comment…it is the connective part of the connective writing.    Blogs also allow people to link to other websites to further explain what they are talking about (just like I have done…this blog is connected!).   Cool Cat Teacher’s blog post “Spies Like Us” really shows how connected a blog can be.  (http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/2007/01/spies-like-us.html) She did research on for her blog post to show that her opinions are really occurring, which helps others to make an informed decision by following her links to her research and reading it themselves.  Also, the comment section of her blog is full of life!  People are commenting on her post (even 4 years after the original post! Have you ever had a conversation 4 years after the fact???) and they are commenting on the comments.  Actual conversations are occurring on her blog, which only furthermore connects people together, just like they were long lost friends.  That is the power of blogs.  Forming connections where they normally would not be.  Can you really connect with the person 105 miles away reading the same book as you?  That would be hard!

Now that I have gone on and on about blogs (for probably way too long for most people…sorry!), I shall now touch on the subject of blogs for educational purposes.  They do exist, even if I have not brought that up yet.  My classroom uses a blog for daily assignments, upcoming due dates, and documents.  I am in the process of starting student blogging with my advance Physical Science students.  They will be blogging for their current events.  The hope is that they will become “connected” through their blogs by reading and responding to their assigned groups.  I hope that discussions will be created that we would not normally have time for in the classroom.  Educational blogging allows the classroom to continue outside the building and enter the students’ lives.  Since there are so many different uses for blogging in the education world and I decided to link to a blog that helps explain it better than I can! I Read the blog and go to the link for the matrix.  The author has come up with such a simple way of explaining the main reasons.  http://www.edtechpost.ca/wordpress/2003/10/09/matrix-of-some-uses-of-blogs-in-education/  There is so much to say about blogging, but I think I have covered a lot for now…until the next blog post about blogging comes along!

Design and Development "STUFF"

I do believe that all this design "stuff" will help me as an educator and technology leader. The "stuff" can help to create effective, easy to read worksheets or classroom websites where any student of any age can navigate and find the necessary information. There are so many teachers out there who have great ideas but they struggle with how to present the information in an easy to read/understand/digest way. With our journey through the ins and outs of design and development, our new knowledge can help those who struggle and want/need help breaking into the world of technlogy, where aesthically pleasing and easy to read are the keys to successfully distributing information.
I am still curious on how to share my knowledge when it comes to helping others with design. I know based on some conversations I have had with some of my co workers that they are too worried about design. Design is the fluff that most of them do not have time for. They are more worried about getting the content out there, even though design can help with that. I think the way to help others with design and development is to keep have these dialogues. Talking is the best way for others to learn new information because it gives them time to digest what you said, how they feel about it, and they will come back to discuss it further with you. I am excited to start learning about design and development so I can start changing my ways and hopefully others will start being open to it as well!

Thing 1 - Shifts Happen!

I feel comfortable being able to make the statement that Web 2.0 has found its way into almost every classroom, if it is only a slight presence that currently resides there.  I am still young for a teacher, so it was not that long ago I was in school.  Teaching practices have changed drastically since the short time I was the student, which helps me to make the statement that Web 2.0 must be in almost every classroom.  I remember sitting in math class waiting impatiently for the teacher to write the problems out from her piece of paper to the overhead projector.   I then had to copy quickly it down before she erased it and wrote the next problem.  Today I have seen math teachers incorporate the problems into PowerPoint with moving animations that show the multiple steps.  At the end of the presentation, there are tutorial videos linked to help those students who are still struggling.  The teacher even posts the presentation to her update website the students check nightly.  Web 2.0 is making its presence known within the classroom.

In my classroom, I am not anywhere near the caliber of David Warlick’s article “A Day in the Life of Web 2.0.”  However, I do incorporate some Web 2.0 in my teaching.  I have a class website where my students check for upcoming due dates, notes, and major assignments.  I use interactive websites and videos in my lessons.  I communicate with students and parents through email and posts on my website.  Warlick’s article is an amazing utopia of Web 2.0, but I know that I am not sure I am ready for that yet… It sounds wonderful and somewhere I would love to teach, but as of right now, I know that I am not at that point and most of the teachers I work with are not there either.  There are a few teachers who I think will fall perfectly into that situation and it is something I would love to partake in, but it also makes me very nervous.  I am not in the stage of comfort with Web 2.0 to be able to give my students the teaching environment they deserve according to Warlick’s article.  I hope that by the end of this class, I will be ready to tackle the world, but right now, I am only ready to tackle the readings and learn as much as I can! :)

Even in my scared realm of chicken-ness, I do believe that Web 2.0 holds great power in helping students learn the content and actually be excited to do so.  Students like to learn new things that interest them and a good portion of them are interested by new and exciting technology.  Web 2.0 lends itself towards creating an engaging classroom where students are excited to be there and not plotting their next “sick” day.  I have always been fascinated with the idea of student blogs and websites.  Allowing students to create their own space while following the parameters of the assignment sounds freeing for the students where it allows them to explore their creative selves.  When I was in school, I always looked forward to the creative assignments, even if the creative aspect was small.  A blog could allow students to complete the assignment while still having a unique space and a unique voice in a world that can sometimes squash the timid. 

Warlick’s article really did depict a perfect use of Web 2.0 tools in a school.  That is going to be the school of the future and from there even more changes will occur, because things are changing in a rapid fashion.  It is difficult to keep up with the changes and constantly stay abreast with all the new additions to Web 2.0, but then things will forever change.  There will constantly be some new method for teaching or theory for adolescent behavior.  Change is the way of the world, but it is how people accept those changes that matter.  Having an open mind and trying not to keep up with every new item but focusing on the few that are realistic is how Web 2.0 is going to take over the classroom, lending Warlick’s article to go from idea for the future to the present.  There will always be shifts in ideas, but really matters how those shifts are embraced.