Thing 14

Wordle was a cool site that I think kids would like. I used it a little bit myself and had a lot of fun. Can't figure out how to embed my creation, but I'm going to keep playing with it to figure it out. Using Wordle could be a neat way to replace the 'all about me' activities we use in the beginning of a school year to learn more about our students. It would be neat, too, to let them create a 'wordle' describing their feelings about a particular subject (like math) in the beginning of a year, and again at the end of a year...maybe they'd feel more competent??? I like the power of the written word, anyway, and think this is a creative site to get kids thinking about themselves. I also found some neat vocab activities on Quizlet...good review of basic concepts from a variety of subjects.

Thing 13

I made a trading card which was a lot of fun. I had made one with a family member, but felt a little weird posting it on flickr for the world to see without his permission, so instead I made one with that relative's horse. Surely he won't mind that! Also went to Image Chef, which was loads of fun as well. Very addictive!

Thing 12

Okay...this was FUN!!!!!!!!!!! I really liked RockYou and when I'm done posting I'm going to some of the other sites to explore.

My youngest is off to the movies, my house is clean, my laundry is complete (thanks to the best husband ever) so I have computer time that is full of NO GUILT!!! I used the photos I downloaded from flickr to create my slideshow, but would have much rathered used my own collection of beach photos. They're on my other computer, which I didn't put Firefox on, so it's all well and good, but I plan on doing this for family ASAP! For the classroom, I see lots of possibilities...it's so user-friendly that kids could accomplish the tasks themselves. They could take a historical concept...like the Civil War...and make a slideshow representing the terms or character traits of the soldiers or a sequence of events retold with modern pictures. My, there's a lot at our fingertips! Photos links and credits:
palmtree by janusz l
seagull by Chris Seufert
dressing rooms by Parksy1964
pier by WisDoc
view from above by Adamos Maximus

Thingamajig 11

Okay...flickr was loads of fun! I'm thinking it would be lots of fun to use in writing lessons...whatever the subject matter. I searched with the word 'geometry' and was treated to a plethora of images that kids could use to reflect understanding of mathematical concepts. What we used to do with magazines can be done more efficiently (and economically...and neatly...and creatively) via the computer. Plus, we don't have to worry about ads for lingerie popping up in the hands of boys who love to ogle and get silly. My search theme for the download of my photos was "beach"...simply because it's what I love the best. This photo was posted by "janusz l" and it sure makes me want to be lounging under that tree with a cold something-or-other and lots of (preferably-related-to-me) children running around. aaaaahhhhhh....it just doesn't get much better than the beach!

Thing #10

I think the cc can be helpful in lots of ways, but as I went and clicked on some of the available links on the OER Commons site, I was a bit wary of downloading. I'm cautious of putting things on my computer from sources that are unfamiliar, so when the warning came as I was trying to link up to a math lesson plan, I decided against taking the risk. I'm not interested in opening myself up to a host of virus problems! Maybe there are built-in protections...maybe it's completely safe...I just wasn't comfortable taking content from an unknown place.

How cool, on the other hand, to have access to so much information that is out there for sharing. I can see how high school and college students could really benefit from the added resources as they work through their research projects or papers. I'll have to explore more to see how I can use it in my own classroom.

Thingie #9

Wikis....I like these things. I think they're pretty cool, and I think I can definitely create one for my family to use as prep for our big vacation this summer. Having siblings from coast to coast, this seems like a great communication tool for us as we plan our travels and cooking nights and evenings on the beach. I experienced a bit of frustration putting it together, for some reason, and getting my link to the 23 Things wiki, but I have a good partner who helped me out. : ) Thanks, Jennifer!

I see lots of possibilities with wikis in the classroom, particularly for research purposes but also for fun projects. Most kids have the computer access they need at home to make it possible to continue the learning after the school day is over, and it's really cool to hear them leaving their research and talk about how they're going to extend it on their own. Plus, parents can get first-hand looks at what their kids are doing. Neat-0!!!

Thing 8...STRETCH

I tried for a wikipedia exploration of the IRS. It's an obvious topic of interest, given the time of year. I've also been somewhat outraged that so many of the new president's picks for cabinet positions have had tax problems. Makes one wonder how many more of our glorified politicians, of ANY political party, have the same issues. It's somewhat maddening, given the attention my father taught me to pay to my financial obligations, that our nation's leaders are "slackers" themselves...and that they get away with it. Anyway, off of my soapbox...the article was as hard to read as the current tax code and the discussion did little to help. The history tab was also BORING, and led me to end my exploration pretty quickly, but it did one good thing...it introduced me to the wikipedia world and taught me how to navigate it, which I'd never really done before. I know enough about wikipedia to know that it's not completely reliable, due to the nature of it, but now I can see why I might choose to visit on an occasional basis, if I had a topic of curiosity.

Thing 8...Wiki

Oooohhh...so THAT'S what a WIKI is! How cool! Had only heard about them re: the library sign-up, but had never needed to use that, so my experience was in the negative-numbers range. Glad to know more about them. I was so impressed with the range of content I encountered...every grade level had participation in some way. I think I read each and every wiki that was listed, spending time clicking around all over the place. I particularly liked the 3rd graders Go West wiki, which allowed young readers to post their learning from a class novel about westward expansion. Turn Homeward, Hannalee was a similar wiki with 5th graders and their reading of a novel that took place during the Civil War. I thought that was pretty cool, and really shows what youngsters can accomplish. I also liked the Schools in the Past. Students interviewed their parents and grandparents about schools in the past to see how things have changed. What a relevant topic as we explore this use of technology in the classroom! I'm more convinced than ever that this is the "candy" that we can't give out in our classrooms anymore. What kids used to do for a jolly rancher, they'll now do for a few minutes at the computer! Oh, how I need more training!

I did have to ask myself if our current class organization style is suited for this type of learning. With the limited amount of time the students have in class period, and all of us feeling the stress of state testing breathing down our necks, it's hard for me personally to find time to 'stray' from the mandated curriculum. Also, I miss and deeply crave the collaborative planning that there seems to be no time for in our current schedule.

I definitely want to explore the use of a wiki before the end of the year so that I can be more comfortable with its regular use for next year.

I really enjoyed reading 10 Techniques to Get More Comments on Your Blog. I read it with more of a teacher-student connection than a me-to-the-world-out-there connection in mind. I think kids respond well to this kind of response request. Must be like a "seeing their name in lights" kind of fascination...suddenly they're somewhat important because their words have been posted for the rest of the class to see and read. How I wish there was more time for this in the everyday world of school...or that I could figure out how to fit it in better?? It's always a rush-rush-rush to get it all in. Does anyone out there have any solutions to fitting it all in when the class sizes are so large? (that's one of the techniques, by the way...asking a question to invite responders! We'll see if it works!)

Yahoo!!! My next thingie is the Wiki!!!

Thingie #7...To Post or Not to Post????

I really enjoyed reading 10 Techniques to Get More Comments on Your Blog