Well, here I am posting my final blog. It was an interesting journey. I did learn a lot. I now know words like podcasting, slideshare, google docs and wiki. Plus I can say I am the proud owner of a blog and a wiki.
I must admit some of the things I don't think I will use at this point. Some of the RSS things I wasn't that impressed with. But I did love googledocs, the podcasting and the wiki. I can see using these to improve my teaching and to share ideas with friends. I have been practicing embedding code into the wiki so I can share on line videos for school with other first grade teachers.
I think what I am going to have to keep doing is practicing. All this new info and I am still not sure I know how to use it all. But I am better.
I will think about a blog for parents. Not sure if I am ready to go there yet but I can see how it could be a useful tool.
I feel proud that I have learned so much about the new technology that is out there. Our world is changing fast as far as technology goes. It is very amazing. Now I at least feel like I have an idea of what is out there.
For those still doing it my advice is "stick with it!" There were evenings I was so frustrated and went to bed mad at my computer. But then around 3am I would have a brainstorm. The next day I would try it out and most of the time it worked. Skip gave the best advice..step back, wait and then come back and try again. We are smarter than the computer. At times it didn't seem that way but I feel like I won the battle. I finished.
The end result is worth it. 2 CEUs and more knowledge. I am glad I did it.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Thing 22: My wiki
http://springflowersinct.wikispaces.com/
A work in progress but I have a wiki. I plan on adding some info on reading, math, science etc. to share with my colleagues. Ideas for resources, lesson plans and interesting links. I think this type of a tool can come in very handy. I need to play around with it and see if this is the type of a site that would hold some of our plans for the smartboard lessons we are making or do we just save them to the desktop? Not sure but as I said a work in progress.
I am still confused between the wiki and the blog. Not sure what the real difference is but I guess I will figure it out. I guess with the wiki I can organize things differently. I have done a page for each subject area.
A work in progress but I have a wiki. I plan on adding some info on reading, math, science etc. to share with my colleagues. Ideas for resources, lesson plans and interesting links. I think this type of a tool can come in very handy. I need to play around with it and see if this is the type of a site that would hold some of our plans for the smartboard lessons we are making or do we just save them to the desktop? Not sure but as I said a work in progress.
I am still confused between the wiki and the blog. Not sure what the real difference is but I guess I will figure it out. I guess with the wiki I can organize things differently. I have done a page for each subject area.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Thing 22 a wikki
After playing around with my wikki I have decided to wait till I get to school. I think then I will attempt to put some of my documents from school on there and try to set up a site that 1st grade teachers would find helpful. That is assuming they are interested. So I think this Thing will take awhile but will start this coming week. Stay tuned! Mr. Skip....get ready! I think I will be coming to ask your help on this one but who knows...maybe I can handle it. Happy Weekend!
Thing 21
I enjoyed exploring wiikis this morning over my cup of coffee. Again neat stuff out there. I really enjoyed the wikki that the Arbor Heights Elementary School created. To me it seemed like a great idea for parents to get info on the school. All the important upcoming dates were there, there were links to other sites, a place for comments and other interesting info. I could see creating a wikki for Driscoll school or even more specifically one just for First Grade at Driscoll. We could include info on how to complete our reading/writing homelinks. This project is often done incorrectly by parents. We could keep a list of suggested readings for the summer, extra ideas for math practice. Parents would be able to view and make comments about items that might be presenting a problem for them. Not sure who would manage the site, set it up and then be kind of in charge. Something else for the team leader? A separate job? But in this economy it wouldn't be an item listed on schedule C for sure. I think it does have great potential though. Just not sure how to handle it.
In school the other day Skip and I were talking about putting the reading plans that teachers have developed up on something like this. Then the paras or even teachers for that matter could look up the book they are doing for their reading group for the day. If they have another idea to add they could then do that or comment on what they found hard. Of course maybe this would be better then on goggle docs. Not sure.
We could make a summer reading list on a wikki for elementary children. I did look at some that were based on literature books. That would be neat but again who would manage that? Teachers, as you know are already very busy. All this technology is great but something else has to give in order to free up time for all this new learning. This still remains my number one concern with all this technology. Finding the time to do it all. Last night I spent my entire evening online doing podcasting, slideshare etc. As a result the dishes didn't get done and no laundry and no walk for me. I just hope all of this doesn't turn us all into people running to get on line. But then here I am at 6:15AM on a Sat. morning on line doing wikkis. Oh no maybe I have been bitten by the techi bug?
Maybe I should save all this for Thing 23 my reflection. Now it is time to create my own wikki. I think I started that last night by mistake. Look for me at springflowersinct I think that is my wikki.
In school the other day Skip and I were talking about putting the reading plans that teachers have developed up on something like this. Then the paras or even teachers for that matter could look up the book they are doing for their reading group for the day. If they have another idea to add they could then do that or comment on what they found hard. Of course maybe this would be better then on goggle docs. Not sure.
We could make a summer reading list on a wikki for elementary children. I did look at some that were based on literature books. That would be neat but again who would manage that? Teachers, as you know are already very busy. All this technology is great but something else has to give in order to free up time for all this new learning. This still remains my number one concern with all this technology. Finding the time to do it all. Last night I spent my entire evening online doing podcasting, slideshare etc. As a result the dishes didn't get done and no laundry and no walk for me. I just hope all of this doesn't turn us all into people running to get on line. But then here I am at 6:15AM on a Sat. morning on line doing wikkis. Oh no maybe I have been bitten by the techi bug?
Maybe I should save all this for Thing 23 my reflection. Now it is time to create my own wikki. I think I started that last night by mistake. Look for me at springflowersinct I think that is my wikki.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Thing 20
Well, this has been an interesting evening. Who needs cable tv now! I am a pro at subscribing to podcasts. I found a fun one called Learn Spanish with Comentarios. I subscribed to that and now I can practice my Spanish in the evening. For those of you who know what we hope to do..this will help me get ready for retiring in Costa Rica in case it really happens. If it does just think I can podcast to all my friends back in Wilton.
I also subscribed to a site called Everything Everywhere which is a combination podcast and blog by a guy named Gary. He has been traveling the world since 2007 writing or should I say blogging about his adventures.
Why wait for retirement. Now that 23 Things has taught me all this new info I can do what I have always wished I could. Quit my job and travel the world. I almost did it back in 1992 but that is when I ended up here in Wilton. Figured I was too young to not work and just travel. Well, now maybe I have the motivation. Food for thought. Have to see what Thing 21 adds to my newly found skills.
I also subscribed to a site called Everything Everywhere which is a combination podcast and blog by a guy named Gary. He has been traveling the world since 2007 writing or should I say blogging about his adventures.
Why wait for retirement. Now that 23 Things has taught me all this new info I can do what I have always wished I could. Quit my job and travel the world. I almost did it back in 1992 but that is when I ended up here in Wilton. Figured I was too young to not work and just travel. Well, now maybe I have the motivation. Food for thought. Have to see what Thing 21 adds to my newly found skills.
Thing 19 Podcasting
I just finished with two different podcasts. One for my personal life and one for school. I wanted to see the podcast from the San Diego Zoo but it was closed down because of an overload of people wanting to see the new baby panda. That is exactly why I wanted to go on. Will have to try back later.
I found a nice one on gardening. I was surprised to see it was by Connie Nelson. Maybe a distant relative of my husband. This will help me this year as I am branching out with the gardening. I have started all my veggies and this weekend I am starting a fruit garden. Blueberries and raspberries. So I am hoping to get hints out of this site.
For school I found a podcast that is all about different stories for children. I can use this at school maybe. Not sure if it is blocked or not. I can however share this with parents. Maybe they didn't know that you can download stories for children to listen to for free. I sure didn't know. I can use it this summer when my grandson comes to visit.
I think the podcasting is neat. I loved the example podcast that I listened to. It made me realize how easy it would be to live overseas today with all the technology out there. I could have been like that couple in Tokyo and set up a podcast. Then my family could have seen what I was up to and felt like they were there with me. I remember sending videos I made so my mom could see what life was like for me in Kobe, Japan. Times have changed since the 80's but wow! I do find it very amazing. Okay,,, I am rambling now so off to do Thing 20.
I found a nice one on gardening. I was surprised to see it was by Connie Nelson. Maybe a distant relative of my husband. This will help me this year as I am branching out with the gardening. I have started all my veggies and this weekend I am starting a fruit garden. Blueberries and raspberries. So I am hoping to get hints out of this site.
For school I found a podcast that is all about different stories for children. I can use this at school maybe. Not sure if it is blocked or not. I can however share this with parents. Maybe they didn't know that you can download stories for children to listen to for free. I sure didn't know. I can use it this summer when my grandson comes to visit.
I think the podcasting is neat. I loved the example podcast that I listened to. It made me realize how easy it would be to live overseas today with all the technology out there. I could have been like that couple in Tokyo and set up a podcast. Then my family could have seen what I was up to and felt like they were there with me. I remember sending videos I made so my mom could see what life was like for me in Kobe, Japan. Times have changed since the 80's but wow! I do find it very amazing. Okay,,, I am rambling now so off to do Thing 20.
Thing 18
I wish I had found this slide show a month ago. We just finished a study of Japan in First Grade. Some of these slides would have been neat to share on my smartboard. I did try to embed another one with an interactive alphabet but didn't have luck with it. This one I had better luck. I think like with youtube, a lot of this info can be used in the class when we are doing science, social studies,etc. I wonder though if it is blocked at school? Though I did recently learn that I can save a youtube video on a flashdrive and then bring it to school for the class to see. I am learning slowly but making progress.
I would be interested in creating a new power point presentation for open house and posting it on slideshare. It would be great for those parents who couldn't make open house. But would I be able to include photos of my class with children? Or just info on the class? Not sure what the district guidelines are on that.
It was a fun tool to explore. Again lots of neat things out there.
I would be interested in creating a new power point presentation for open house and posting it on slideshare. It would be great for those parents who couldn't make open house. But would I be able to include photos of my class with children? Or just info on the class? Not sure what the district guidelines are on that.
It was a fun tool to explore. Again lots of neat things out there.
Geography of Japan
Check out this SlideShare Presentation:
Geography of Japan
View more presentations from rey belen.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Thing 17
These on line tools are neat. I had fun exploring them. My favorite was "remember he milk". I signed up for that and added my husband's email to my account. Now I can send him reminders of things that need to be done. I can now have a virtual "Honey Do" list. I am happy...hope he is too. I also explored the "which date works" tool. I like this for family members and summer vacations. Our family is very spread out and between us going to see people and people coming to us it gets confusing. I can refer people to this site and hopefully I won't end up with a houseful of company on the same date.
I was excited to check out Kowtes the flashcard tool but it was closed down.
I want to continue exploring dabbleboard, sriblkink and skrb for school. They all sound interesting and might be of use to me at school. I do need to play more with those.
This is another thing that I found very helpful and something I will use.
I was excited to check out Kowtes the flashcard tool but it was closed down.
I want to continue exploring dabbleboard, sriblkink and skrb for school. They all sound interesting and might be of use to me at school. I do need to play more with those.
This is another thing that I found very helpful and something I will use.
Thing 16 google docs
WOW! I like this thing! I am impressed. I think this is the first thing that I could really say I can see me using. It is great for meetings, summer work, placement the list goes on. I think it would be really useful in the upper grades. Imagine the possibilites of students colaborating together? I can see my students perhaps using it for graphs and me for gathering information from parents at the beginning of the year. I am excited about getting the info back from my 5 friends. I hope the next thing is this exciting! I am energized to keep going. I have to say the other things weren't all the exciting to me but this is amazing!
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Thing 15
I signed up for the NY Times and the New Haven Register's feed. I do think it is neat that you can get the paper on line. Not sure if I can get use to reading the paper on line as compared to the kitchen table in the morning over my cup of coffee. I suppose I could try to start and it would save money and it would help my household to go green. Then I wouldn't need to subscribe to the paper. But then what do I use to start my fires in the woodburning stove? Such problems. I do think RSS is easier to understand. I can add and delete items now very easily. I have to admit that this was the first time back on the site since Thing 5 so no it is not an obsession or even a habit yet. I just have to find more time in the day to do it all. It is exciting to know just how much info is out there. As a result of Wilton's 23 Things my husband to surprise me with my own laptop. Now we sit in the living room after dinner each with our own laptop. Not sure if I like where that is going. Emailing each other when dinner is ready? Interesting. For now it is on to Thing 16.
Thing 13 continued
admit better bit blog code comments computer continued delicious dianne done educational embedding facebook fancy felt flower found friend fun getting heard hopefully http important learn mashup mention mr nelson net perhaps pm posted sites skip start tag things think trouble tv view watching websites week widget words work writing
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