I made it through...YAY!!!

I made it through all the 23 things!!! Woohoo!! Even though, at first it does seem like a lot of work in the beginning, once you get started on them...it's a breeze.

Each of the 23 things was a useful resource..some things I already knew, but there were quite a bit of ideas that were totally new to me! I loved the fact that I was able to learn new things/ideas, especially web tools that I can use in my classroom in the future!!

Thanks for all the helpful tips. It was awesome to learn the different features of technology that could be incorporated into a classroom. I truly appreciated the "23 Things" assignment.

Thing 23...Woohooo!!!!

The Creative Commons fair(y) tale video was cute and a clever idea of a video to help with the understanding of copyrighting and etc. As a teacher, it's going to be important to teach the students that taking and copying other people's work and trying to pass it off as their own without proper permission is not right. A student needs to be able to think/create their own ideas instead of trying to copy/take other's work. Whenever the time comes for me to have my own classroom this will be an important topic to be taught and learned.

Thing 22..Podcast Galore...

Wow!! Who would have imagined that there were so many podcasts that one could subscribe too! It was interesting to navigate through different ones. I sampled ones that pertained to education and then ones that had to do with Music. It was pretty easy to navigate through them. I really enjoyed the music ones. I could totally add different podcasts into my Ipod if I wanted too. I find it neat and perhaps resourceful to use in my classroom someday.

Thing 21...Animoto

I really liked being able to make my own videos!! This was a totally awesome and fun web tool. I found it cool that i could upload whatever pictures, music and create them into videos. This website, Animoto could be used in different ways. I could make small videos to use for the classroom for lectures, or too make a classroom photo album and use in the classroom podcast/blog and etc. There are many ideas that you could use this Animoto website for. Just another neat way of using technology in the classroom.

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

thing 20...YouTube videos

Well, hmm...it was interesting to say the least when it came to exploring Youtube! There were loads and loads of videos. Silly videos to crazy videos. haha. However, I was able to find loads of educational videos that could come in handy in a classroom or to resource from. I found it neat to be able to find these educational videos. However, I did not like all the "crazy" videos that are in that website. It looks like a website that anyone could just post whatever they want and share with others. I chose this specific video, because I liked the way it went through the alphabet and helped with letter recognition and sounds. It was neat.

thing 19

Well, it was nice to explore other social networks besides the 2 common ones...Myspace & Facebook. The other social networks were interesting and mostly, because they were solely based on education! It was nice to see another realm of social networks that I could explore and read others ideas on education topics! I also became a member of the social network TeacherPop and the Classroom 2.0 Ning. I hope to be able to continue reading up on ideas that maybe I could use someday in my classroom.

1. Classroom 2.0 Ning--- http://www.classroom20.com/
2. TeacherPop--- http://teacherpop.ning.com/

Thing 18..Social Networking

http://www.facebook.com/people/Nessa-Pineda/100001242045900?ref=search

The main reason that educators find it important to know how to wander around the social networking is so they can see what others are up too. I mean what else is the purpose besides reading up and viewing up on their lives that they post on their MySpace and Facebooks. Now, it’s like they tell us…don’t be posting things that you wouldn’t want the world to see or read!! Hehehe. I personally have a MySpace and a Facebook, but I sure don’t have them public viewed either…I don’t want all my life out in the open…for anyone to see—only my friends. Hmm…I don’t know if I would use these either of these websites in a classroom. From what I can remember both websites were banned on school computers, so that would be a barrier to cross right?! So, from my opinion, I don’t think that I would use the websites in my classroom.

thing 17

I found the website del.icio.us to be a useful site. I can see the potential of the tool to be useful in the classroom. Using the tool can allow for the teacher to bookmark all the resources, links, or any other webpage’s that can be helpful to a child’s education. Then a parent can even tag, bookmark, and comment on the information that is on the website. It can be seen as another way of communicating towards the parents to help with their child’s academics.

thing 16...i chose igoogle

I chose to go with the start page using igoogle. I chose this start page mostly because I can link it all up to my other google accounts and keep them all combined. I was able to link up the igoogle with my email accounts, my google reader that has my RSS feeds, my calendar and even my to do lists. It was great just how they are all combined and kept for me on the same link…totally awesome! No need for multiple passwords or nothing. I probably won’t keep it as my homepage mostly because I keep yahoo as my homepage at home. Yahoo email is where I do most of my emails from and all. But the easy access to all my other tools is great to have on the igoogle home page. I would use the igoogle option for when my classroom homepage, because then I could stay updated through there, but for now I’m staying with my settings in Yahoo. I would recommend the igoogle page for those that are interested in just having it all at the click of your button and all with your google login.

Thing 15...Wiki

It was interesting to read about in the different wiki’s. I find interesting how anyone can just come into the wiki and modify the information on it. It’s seems like an open access to knowledge, but my only question is…is the information really reliable since so many and whom ever can change it?? Isn’t that why they say not to use Wikipedia when doing research for a topic? I’m just wondering that’s all, because I know that professors have said before not to use Wikipedia. Hmm.

However, I was able to edit the APSU sandbox wiki and I added about my favorite thing which was thing #8…using the Flickr Mashups! That one totally eats the cake thus far. The wiki’s didn’t seem difficult to wander about or to edit. It was just all a bit interesting that’s all.

thing 14...Flowcharts..mind maps...

I liked the websites that were given to us for graph references. I could totally use them in the classroom someday. I chose to go with exploring the gliffy flowcharts and the Bubbl.us mind map. I preferred the gliffy flowcharts because it didn’t require me to sign up in order for me to start creating a flowchart and inputting my data. I played around with it by using the flowcharts to create a family tree. What a better way of doing it than by having access to type it up on my computer. I thought it would be neat and a good idea…and it was! It totally came out and I was able to create my family tree. Now I can just add family members as they come along. Haha.

On the other hand, I wasn’t to fond with the Bubbl.us mind maps. Those were a bit more complicated and most because you had to draw up the way you wanted your mind map to be. It was fustrating at times, especially when the shape wouldn’t go where you wanted it too or it wouldn’t link to the right one and stuff. It was just to complicated. Then it required a signup and all. I’m not very fond of signing up my name and blah blah blah to many things all over the internet. It’s just not me. But, the Gliffy flowcharts was just fine and a lot of fun and no stress!! LOL.

thing 13- Zoho Writer tool

The ZoHo Writer tool was pretty neat. ZoHo writer is almost the same as using a word document; except this one has a few more neat features to it. For example, the little emotions that i can add to a document....usually I had to try to remember a keyboard function to remember what would make a smiley face, a heart, and etc. .

Another cool feature of the ZoHo writer document is that it allows you to send your documents out for other to read. In other words you can choose who reads and even who gets to comment or correct your document, but only the people you chose to give the permission to can do this.

The ZoHo writer is a tool that can be used when creating any type of document. It'll come in handy.

I just realized that the blogger doesn't let my smiley faces show! That bites! LOL.

thing 12!!! Yay! Finally!

I really liked the Google calendar tool, igoogle, and even the Google notebook. They all seemed like good online resources that would come in handy to keeping me organized all in a push of a few buttons. Though, I do keep order with my handy dandy planner, the idea of being able to keep it on my computer is cool. The only thing that worries me is the options of making everything public! No thanks! I don’t like the idea that people can view and see what I have planned and all. That sounds a bit too creepy!

On the other hand, the Google applications might be a good use in the school environment. For example, the school can keep all the events, activities, and anything important for easy access to parents, the students, and staff. The school could even use the Picassa album online also.

thing 11

In searching through all the different ways of finding RSS feeds…I still think that the easiest one for me was the searching through the Google Reader application. I found the Syndic8.com to be too confusing. I felt too overwhelmed with that website…like as if it was everywhere!! Maybe it was the many tiny letters all over the screen leading to this and that…or here and there. It was just too much. The Technorati.com on the other hand, was also a bit easier. I liked the way I could link to many different websites and read the feeds on them. It was pretty neat!

Thing 10...RSS Feeds

When it came to choosing an RSS reader…I chose to work through Google Reader. I picked Google Reader, because I already had an account with google setup and then all I had to learn to do was, “How to subscribe to different feeds?!” I picked several feeds. I picked mostly feeds that had to do with stuff back home, Dallas. For example, I picked the Dallas Morning News, the McAllen Monitor, and even the Ennis Daily Newspaper…which are all newspapers from back home. I liked the fact that using the Google Reader subscriptions keeps me all up to date and I can click on the links and read up on the news and events that occur back home. Having learned how to complete this whole RSS process was a learning activity that will come in handy for me.

Using the RSS feeds can come in handy to use in the classroom. For example, when needing to use the newspaper feeds as examples in a certain activity or a subject-content lesson. A teacher could easily pull up different feeds for the lessons/activities.

Learning to use the RSS feeds is a good advantage of technology for teachers!! Good thing we learned about it in EDUC 3040!! Thanks, Dr. Jerles!!

Thing 9

The main website that I had lots of fun using was the http://www.imagechef.com/

Using the website had a ton of different ways to generator text in various designs. I think the website would come in handy in designing classroom signs to post or just for decoration around the classroom. I can even use the website for scrapbooking or to decorate my blog...as you can tell when reading my blog. I liked the fact that I could type in any text and ZOOM!!...it creates my designed text. I would more than likely use the cite to make my center signs and be creative making them. The cites were fun to use!

Thing 8...lots of fun!!

I really liked the different Flickr mashups. They were pretty interesting to use. For example, I uploaded to my blog what I created using the Flickr mashup that was called Spell with Flickr. It allowed me to spell whatever I wanted and then it created my words using random letters in random pictures and shapes. It was pretty cool to see the different pictures it collaborated with together to spell out my words.

I think the Flickr Color Pickr, the puzzles, the Spell with Flickr would all be good ones to use in the classroom. I’m pretty sure the others are good links to incorporate into classroom activities also. Everyone is creative in their own ways and can be capable in using the different applications in some way or another.

Each of the applications was fun, interesting, unique, and easy to use!!

Thing 7: Flickr Experience

I actually had a lot of fun roaming around using the Flickr website. It was pretty neat just how you can upload your photos, create, crop, and do all kinds of things with your very own photos. I am familiar with online picture websites…for example, I usually use Snapfish.com. It’s similar to what flickr does. You upload pictures, you can play with them, and even print them out and all. I honestly still prefer Snapfish.com, but I think it’s more because of the fact that I am familiar with it. I don’t like the fact that my photos are public, but I know that it’s something that can be easily changed and that’s a good thing.

I guess if maybe I played with the flickr website more then, maybe I could lean to liking it more! I’m gonna have to keep playing with the website and see what else I can create and do with my pictures.

I think it would be fun and creative to use, Flickr, in the classroom. For example, I could use it to upload photos of the class during field trips, class activities and etc. (of course with all prior permission!) Having a Flickr would allow the parents to be able to see what goes on during special events. After all, not all parents are able to always attend school functions, so the Flickr account can allow them to view and get a sense of what occurred and maybe feel a bit happier from viewing the moments, rather than being bumped from not being able to attend. I think the photo website would be a good, unique and fun application to add to the classroom!

Thing 6- Web 2.0 Exploration...YouTube.com

The Web 2.0 that I decided to explore was youtube.com. the link to the website is www.youtube.com . I decided to explore this website, because I knew that it is a very popular website that many people use. I learned that the website is one to where you can view videos of all kinds. On Youtube.com there is a huge gallery of videos ranging from music videos to tutorial videos, and etc.

This website was also a pick for me, because I have recently started using it for Statistics tutorials. The website gave a ton of videos to choose from. Youtube.com has actually been more helpful in my learning the statistics than the professor. I find it crazy, but understanding a professor that flies through the material is hard and with the tutorial videos online…it makes it a bit easier!! The only bad thing about youtube.com is just how anyone can upload a video and just exploring the website…there were plenty of crazy videos and stuff. I know for a fact that some schools don’t allow the website Youtube.com, because of some of the vulgar and crazy videos that one can find on there. God forbid that the children come across some of the bad videos in the middle of class and something crazy is on the computer screen!! That would be a huge O M G moment!!!

But, I think that with the proper supervision...maybe it could be used in the classroom or library setting. It just all depends on just how much supervision can be taken towards the browsing of the website. Other than that, the website seemed to be like a good web 2.0.

Thing 5- School/Web 2.0

I think that it’s totally remarkable and awesome just how technology has come along in Education. I can remember having and using computers in school, but nothing compared to how they are used today. I really like the way that technology is used in the classrooms. For example, using a Smart board and it’s technologies to expand and utilize to get the subject-content material out towards the students. The students that use the Smart Board are able to interact, visualize the lesson, and actually participate in various ways.

When I was a kindergarten teacher’s assistant, we would always use the Smart Board for lesson time, circle time, and in different ways. The children loved being active in the lessons and participating with the curriculum that we had planned for the day. This helped increase the student involvement and their learning skill levels. It also really helped with the students that learned visually.

There are plenty of ways that technology can be seen as a positive and easily incorporated to the everyday classroom curriculum and atmosphere. I can say that using the technology will enhance in the students learning, in classroom management, and etc. It can all just depend on the creativity of the teacher and how she puts it forward in the classroom and the lectures.

thing 4...under construction

When it comes to blogging most of the work comes writing your posts, reading others posted blogs and ideas, and then even having the opportunity to being able to comment on others posts if you’d like.

Commenting on other people’s posts helps to create a sense of community and interaction, because you get to share your ideas, concerns, questions or anything that comes to mind with others. It can be as if your having a conversation with people and their ideas…which is better than thinking of it as a one way conversation. That would just feel as if I were talking to yourself and all. LOL. Having that sense of community and being able to share ideas is pretty neat and interesting.

Being able to read other’s blogs all helps with sharing ideas. For example, I read and commented on Lauren & Stacy’s blogs that were interesting. They had really great opinions and ideas posted on how to incorporate the whole “blogging” into a classroom atmosphere. I chose their blogs, because I was interested in reading the different thoughts of how to use the “blogs” within a classroom. I liked the fact that we can share and brainstorm together…allowing us to come up with brighter ideas for the classroom!!

Thing 3

In the little bit that I have experienced and worked with blogging, I can already see good things about blogging that can be done towards enhancing the classroom. As a prospective teacher, I can see myself, using the blogging system as a way to stay updated with students and their parents.

For example, I could use the blogging system as a way to set up reminders for future classroom activities, field trips, special events at school, and etc. All kinds of updates and reminders can be posted in a classroom blog which would really help the parents and even the students on track throughout the school year. It would really be beneficial in getting more teacher-parent communication through and especially in aiming to get more parents involved in their children’s education.

Even though, setting up a blog and maintaining it, might seem like a lot of work…think about it this way…in the long run it totally keeps and helps with getting the message through and up to date! I think it goes the extra mile and if it helps the students then…it’s totally worth having a classroom blog! It’ll be different, neat and fun for your classroom to have their own blog page! :)

Thing #2—Setting up my very own blog!!

When I first learned that we would be creating our own blogs online, this is what ran through my mind… “OMG…How cool!!…O wait!...what the heck is a blog?!?!” LOL.

A blog wasn’t something that I could honestly say that I had done before. I had somewhat of an idea of what a blog was or consisted of, but never imagined that I would have my very own blog set up!!

I knew that a blog was like a public journal for a person to jot down their ideas, feelings about a topic, for ranting off on a topic and basically just a freestyle journal. The other thing that I knew about it was that it was updated in public view for the world to read and comment if they’d like on your postings. Which I find it interesting!!

At first setting up a blog just seems too complicated and a lot of work to keep up with, but after setting up my blog…it was actually pretty easy and a cool experience on just how differently you can set up your blog from everyone else’s and all. Sure, everyone has a blog, but each and every one of them is different in the person’s own perspective of what they wanted their blog to be and look like.

Setting up the blog was easy breezy!! It just took a few bits of information here and there and BOOM…I was on my way to an open world of blogging!!

Thing 1- Lifelong Habits...

After viewing the video about the 7½ habits…right away I knew which one was the easiest and the most obvious one was the ½ habit…to play!! This habit is the easiest to accomplish in our everyday lives, no matter what age. Playing and having fun is just something that is too easy and makes the day pass by. It’s like they say,” Time flies when having fun!!”

However, on a more serious note, I also felt that there were other habits that can be easily accomplished. For example, I find it easy to integrate technology into our everyday lives. Technology, now a day, is everywhere and seems to develop more each day too. I’m sure there is technology in mostly everybody’s daily routine in some manner. Another example of a habit that I find easy was to set goals. Setting goals is something that I keep so that I can stay on track and aim to accomplish. Accomplishing the goals gives me a satisfaction and a happiness in just knowing that I was able to do it, this leads to inspiration to set more goals to accomplish. Confidence and accepting responsibility in my way of learning is also another habit that I find easy to do.

On the other hand, there were some habits of the 7 ½ that I did find a bit difficult for me. For instance, the habit about making goals is easy. It’s quite easy to write down a few goals, whether short or long term, but the difficult part is staying focused and on track to accomplish the goals is a whole different story. Like let me give you an example, every year I have that pesky, remedial goal of wanting to lose a few pounds and every time I seem to always come up short of reaching that particular goal. It never fails to be on my goal list, but it always falls short of being reached!! Hahaha! I guess I should just pretend that I don’t know how to cook and maybe then I can reach my goal of losing a few pounds! LOL.

Either way, most habits can be reached…it just all depends on how hard you work to get them accomplished. The Lifelong habits served to me as a reminder on the needing of staying focused and on track with stuff in my life….especially when it pertains towards my Educational goals.