Finally, the End!

I really did enjoy this assignment and finding all the different options that you have to create works and all the tools that are out there to help keep you in the loop of web 2.0. The tools that I liked most was Animoto just because it was so simple and it allows you to create cute little clips that you can share with family, friends, and others.

There are a lot of tools in this assignment that you can use on a regular basis to help keep the classroom exciting and entertaining. The best tools in my opinion are probably mind charts, RSS feeds, and blogging in general. I feel that these tools can help to promote learning easier than trying to teach 25+ students how to tweet. These tools are relatively easy to use and can be used for multiple classes.

What I did not like about this assignment is the fact that I literally had to register to umpteen different sites in order to be able to complete this assignment. I already have a lot of trouble trying to weed out the good and bad mail and for the tools that I may not use anymore, I will still be getting junk email from them. I also understand that not everyone has access to high speed internet and I can imagine that it has really taken a toll on their ability to complete this assignment.

Something that I have learned from this blogging activity is that there is always new technology arising out of what we have already created. The web is an ever-changing tool and it is going to take some effort to be able to keep up with this new blogging thing that I have been doing. I do think that I will try to incorporate it into my lessons, maybe I will even build my own website to where my students can get their assignments. Who knows? The possibilities are endless.

Thing #23

The website that I found that shows that Learning 2.0 23 Things for Teachers was taken from another website is "Learning 2.0 (the 23 Things) A LNSS Project- regional Network for Staff Development at this website http://lnssproject.blogspot.com/. This project is set up very similar to that of APSU's 23 Things in that it follows the same blogging methods and processes for setting up Google accounts and also the website explores a lot of the same technological materials that APSU's 23 Things does. Seeing as how stealing other peoples work happens too often, I will make sure that I give proper credit on everything that I use that I don't create myself. And if I create something that I think is worth presenting to others then I will definitely use a copyright on it.

Thing #22

Go to this website and check out my Live binder! http://www.livebinders.com/play/play?id=1072495
I actually found LiveBinder really easy to use. When you are creating a new binder it gives you the option to allow Google to run a search of article/ websites for you and adds them to your binder automatically. I found this really helpful. Another really helpful aspect is that this tool can allow you to store websites, documents, and other learning materials in organized folders and then you can also share them with other people as I have done for you. Just make sure that you mark the binder as "public."

Thing #21

My Family

I absolutely love this tool! Animoto makes creating these short clips of movies so easy. I literally took next to no effort. I wish that I would have discovered it a little earlier. I am not completely sure how I could use this particular tool in my Biology class but I would definitely be willing to try. This video has a few pictures from over the past few years. It includes my husband and my kids. I hope y'all enjoy!

Thing #20

I have used YouTube before and I do like it. What I like most about YouTube is that you can find a video for just about everything that you can imagine. It allows people to share videos over the internet whether they are videos of your friends and family or if it is a video about a lesson that you are learning. You can take and publish an entire lecture on YouTube and let your students follow right along with it. YouTube allows us to visually see the objects that we are talking about.

Thing #19

I have previously learned how effective social networking is for your personal life. Today I have learned how much it can help collaborate teachers from all over the world. By using sites such as Facebook, Twitter, or Pintrest, teachers can share ideas along with lesson plans and create forums for students to share thoughts about the days lesson, topics for presentations, and also ask questions. I already am a member of Facebook and I prefer the way that it is set up. It is easy to use and very self explanatory when you need to find something.
I also tried out Yelp. I was a very informative site that I could use on a regular basis. I don't necessarily know how it would help me in the classroom but it can help me find some great restaurants!

Thing #18

Okay so I am a new-by to Twitter and I have had trouble trying to get my account set up. The entire process is awkward to me. I can't find my friends as easily as I can on Facebook. I am so use to browsing Facebook that it makes searching Twitter hard for me. The idea of Twitter and Facebook are both useful for teachers because they can search Facebook for posts that people have put on Facebook or Twitter and build upon their ideas. Teachers can build an entire lesson from information found on twitter. Teachers really need to appreciate the idea behind social networking because this networking could possibly open the future to virtual classrooms, it could create a different way that students learn and how teachers present the information to students. Students are much more interested in social networking than classes. What if a teacher could take the classroom to the networking site? Teachers could host and individual group based upon social media within the classroom. Teachers could host forum discussions and get students' feedback on assignments. The possibilities are endless.