The End

There are so many great things to look back on after completing the 23 things.  So many of things I did I liked but if I have to choose to one, I like the google calendars the best.  My planner is the hardest thing for me to keep up with and having it online makes it so much easier.  This way I can always find it and it is never lost.  After doing the 23 things my goals in my life have changed.  I want to do everything more organized.  This will help my in so many ways and I've realized that through this experience.  I am definitely going to continue to update my blog.  I like having it and I plan on using it to help me with my future classroom.  The more I learn about whats out there, the better knowledge I have about how to make my classroom the best!

Thing #23

It was very helpful to learn about Creative Commons.  As a teacher it is important to understand you limits when you want to use something in your classroom.  Also if you want to share your ideas it is very easy to do so while at the same time having a free copyright to your work.  Teaching your students how to use this is very important so first you need to be sure you know all the rules as well.

Thing #22

I chose Learn Out Loud and it was fascinating.  It has everything from audio books to podcasts to educational videos.  It is the perfect stop for teachers to go for any kind of video they are looking for.  There are so many to choose from and the possibilities are endless.  I do see myself coming back to this in the future.  Here is something I enjoyed while on this website: Art Masterpieces

Thing #21

Mal's Animoto

Thing #20

YouTube is something that I'm actually familiar with.  I use it all the time.  I think if I needed something for my classroom I could definitely find a video to show.  Just last night I used YouTube to find a video for the children at christmas play practice.  A church had posted a video of the play we are about to do and I thought it was great that I could show them that video.  For this exercise I looked up videos that teach children to alphabet.  The one that I watched was a little cartoony and it would have been something that a child would enjoy.  So I can see using this in the future for many different activities.

Thing #19

I signed up for teacher pop and it looks like its going to be really fun to play with.  I am amazed at all these things that I haven't even heard of.  I also like Bake Space.  I love to cook and this site is so cool.  You can add your recipes and view others recipes as well.  I could use any of these in the future, they are all helpful and useful.

Thing #18

Social networking is important for a teacher to be aware of because once they begin teaching some of things they might have thought were appropriate in high school to put on their Facebook are not when they are a professional.  When you have a Facebook and you are looking for others out their the searching tools are really easy to use.  I love having my Facebook page because so many of my friends go to other schools.  It is our way of staying connected with each other until a holiday rolls around or summer.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/profile.php?id=528922349&v=info

Thing #17

I liked exploring Diigo. I like being able to access it from anywhere.  Also I love being able to highlight the text on the screen that I am currently viewing.  Everything I highlight stays in a little "cloud" and is there for me anytime.  If you have an iPad you can access it from that also.  I like how you can "tag" different web pages so that they are organized to fit personal needs.   

Thing #16

On this exercise I chose to explore sticky notes.  I love sticky notes anyway but virtual sticky notes are so much cooler.  I love the fact that they are right there and always at my convenience.  Online calendars are so much better than carrying around a small calendar in your purse.  I write little small notes all over my calendar and then it becomes hard to read.  But having an online calendar keeps everything in its place.  I can add as many notes as I need to and they stay organized.  Anytime I need to look at my calendar it is there.  This will help me as a future teacher because I can have a school calendar and personal calendar and stay organized.

Thing #15

Using wiki can be helpful for many reasons.  Anyone can add and edit things.  There are tools that track who is doing the addition and editing and also what they have added or edited.  It also allows you to view previous versions of that page as well.  Wiki is helpful because it allows for new collaboration the sharing of knowledge.

Thing #14

I chose to use flowchart.com and bubbl.us.  Both of those seemed to be the easier ones to work with.  Flowcart is going to help me do all kinds of things that would have taken me forever to do in word.  Bubblus is cool too.  I love that kind of chart flowage.  I could easily do what I needed to do with the kind of chart I liked.  I chose them because they looked easy and it turned out that they were and I am very glad I chose to explore them.  Also I can't wait to use them to my advantage.

Thing #13

Zoho Writer is wonderful.  There are so many great things offered at just a click of your mouse.  The new toolbar is extremely helpful and visible making writing a better experience.  Also the task manager is great for keeping your tasks manageable.  The time sheet is very important for less organized people who need extra help keeping things in line.  Overall reading about Zoho was very helpful for my organized future.

Thing #12

I played with the google calendar.  It's so cool beause if I'm checking and using my google reader I'm always connected.  Everything I need now is through google and I love it.

http://www.google.com/calendar/render?pli=1&gsessionid=TCLQKimmFwYwtlipIYMEVQ

Thing #11

I found that Google Blog Search was the easiest one for me to use.  Topix.net was hard for personally to work with.  Then I tried Syndic8 and I liked it alot because I could search for something I was specifically looking for.  But essentially I like Google Blog Search because I can search through all the different topics.  This is something that is going to be used alot now that I'm familar with.  Its alot easier to get on Google Blog Search then wait for the news to come on, and most of the time I'm working and miss the news.  So I can easliy work this into my schedule.

Thing #10

Google reader is also something I've never heard of until today.  Technology is amazing and I haven't even been aware of it.  I could use this for a multitude of things.  I have a subscription to another website that  sends me tips and hints for teachers.  But this is so much easier to deal with it.  Teachers should jump on the opportunity to explore all the resources that are free to them.  An opportunity for a teacher to learn is an opportunity for a child to learn.

Thing #9

I absolutely loved playing with these features on thing #9.  The animals in the photos are mine!  I've been playing with all of the different pictures I have of my pets and sending them to family members and they love them.  I can do so much with these sites.
ImageChef.com Poetry Blender

Thing #9

Thing #8

I love thing #7!  I think if I have upper elementary aged children then we could this for a very fun activity.  For example we could do a science experiment and I could send them out with a camera and then we could work together to create what I've created, a mosiac.  The things we could do with our photos are endless.  I like the idea of sharing my mosiac or future science experiments because it might give someone else the idea to do the same or something even greater.

Thing #7

Flickr is awesome.  I love looking at all the photos and learning how to do new things with them.  I am definitely going to use this from now on and way into the future.  I love taking pictures so knowing all these options are out there for me to play with my new pictures is really cool.  My photos being available to everyone doesn't really bother me, but if I happen to change my mind I know how to fix it.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/54713764@N07/

Thing #6

The one I chose to play with is picnik.  It's pretty awesome.  I had never heard of it until now.  It takes pictures and applies fonts and edits.  You take a normal picture and animiate in many ways.  My favorite thing about it adding extra color to your picture.  I definitely see it more in a classroom setting than in a library.

picnik.com

Thing #5

School 2.0 is very important for the modern day classroom.  It is helpful in bringing new learning instruction to the classroom.  The introduction of technology is very important for students.  The better the teacher is at using the technology, the better they will be showing the students how to use it. 
As for the future, I think technology is going to be a larger part of the classroom atmosphere.  As a future teacher i think I should learn how to effectively use technology now while I'm ahead of the game.

Thing #4

Commenting on someone’s blog is very important because it’s just like having a conversation with someone.  When you’re having a conversation through your blog it is fun when your network of friends can all have a huge conversation together.  By commenting on something someone posts on their blog you are showing them that, first off, you read it and secondly you are interested in what they have to say.

Thing #3

Thing #3 asks why I might use a blog in the future?  I think my blog is going to be helpful in many ways.  First I think it will help me connect to other educators for support and help.  Also I think this whole learning process will aid me in getting myself out there to explore newer ways through technolgy to better my classroom.  And finally, I think its really fun!

Thing #2

In this exercise I found myself very confused because I've never had a blog.  Following the directions closely is hard for me as well.  I chose my name for the title of my blog just because it seemed to be the simplest.  I had so much fun creating my avatar.  I could have made it look like my inner self, but I decided to go with my appearance as best as possible.

Thing #1

From the video-- easiest: Play!    hardest: Have conifdence in yourself as competent, effective learner