Thing #12

Again, Google leaves me surprised! I had no idea that so many tools were available through Google and that you could create and customize your own. I decided to create an iGoogle Homepage where I chose my own gadgets and interests to have available and posted on my page. I can keep up to date on what I am interested in, create and follow a checklist, add games, and many other fun and interesting things. I believe this could be useful in the classroom because either you can create a page for the entire class and make it available to all of your students. It can be also be used for students to create their own and offer a way for them to learn organization skills.

Next, I decided to create a Google Calendar, which was a very useful tool because it was simple and easy to use. Again, this could be used for the entire class as a way for students to keep up with a teacher's assignments. Students can also access it at home to view your lesson plans and discover what they missed in class. Additionally, they can create their own which will also help them to develop organizational skills.

Thing #11

...and technology gets even cooler! I have been so surprised by most of the "things" we have learned in this course so far, especially because I didn't know half of them existed! I didn't realize how advanced some Web 2.0 tools are and how extremely useful they are. The blog search tools used for this exercise definitely fit into that category.

I'm not sure what method I used for searching- I guess I was straightforward and typed in keywords of what I was looking for, then scanned through the results to see what popped up. Overall, I really enjoyed using the Google Blog Search because it was very simple and easy to use. It has an air of familiarity (the same design as the Google homepage we all know and love) and I can see myself using it again. I was able to browse each category that I searched and easily found what I was looking for. Although Topix was an interesting tool because it searched for newsfeeds pertaining to your topic, I found it to be the most confusing. The results from this search engine were scattered, meaning they seemed sort of random. (I searched "siberian husky" and received for-sale dog postings. Google Blog Search was a better fit because it provided interesting information and fun pictures.)

Overall, I found the most affective way to search for a specific topic would be to search for different keywords to receive broader results. Instead of just searching for "siberian husky," I tried searching for "husky," "snow dog," "sled dog," and other keywords. I found this to be the best way to search for a wider range of material.

I am attaching Gone to the Snow Dogs, one of my cool finds. They have an awesome (and adorable) video of huskies on their page!

Thing #10

I may be technologically challenged... It definitely took me about half an hour to figure out how to subscribe on Google Reader (which may or may not be due to my fever I am running tonight... But I digress.)

However, once I FINALLY figured it out, I realized how useful RSS Readers and Add Feeds are. Modern technology provides us with so many different websites, and everyday we stumble upon new and interesting sources. We can sometimes be overwhelmed while trying to keep up with everything, and sites like Google Reader help to keep all of the information in one spot. So, instead of visiting 10 websites each day, we can visit our readers and catch up with everything all at once. I chose to subscribe to three different teacher sites (Cool Cat Teacher, Blue Bird's Classroom, and Learn Me Good,) a classroom blog (Mr. Buxton's 5th Grade Class,) and a technology resource site (Free Tech 4 Teachers.)

This can be extremely useful as a teacher because you can create a reader for the entire class, much like Mr. Buxton's 5th Grade Class, and students can utilize your resources. Or, you could have each student create their own reader so they can add their own resources that they are interested in.

Thing #9

This exercise was so fun! I could definitely use these tools in the classroom because my students can create their own fun pictures for projects. Also, I could create some fun pictures to spice up handouts and help to grab my students' attentions.

The first image I created was with The Image Chef Word Mosaic, and I chose to include words which fit my blog. This tool was fun because you could write whatever words you wanted to, use any image outline for the words (I chose the number 23) and choose your own colors.

I also used the Header Bar image generator to create my own blog header. I used the antique book background in an attempt to match my blog. Although I probably won't use this as my actual blog header, it was still a fun experience customizing it. 

Thing #8

Photo sharing is such a fun way to communicate with others, and websites such as Flickr help make the experience imaginative and creative. There are many tools and mashups created by Flickr users to create collages, puzzle pictures, and many other interesting effects for your pictures. One of my favorites to use is the mosaic maker on bighugelabs.com where you can create a mosaic collage of pictures with several different templates. Possibly the best feature of this tool is the search bar used to add pictures because you can search pictures on Flicker, upload pictures, and even link your Facebook account so you can chose directly from your own albums. I decided to use several of my favorite pictures with my husband and some adorable pictures of our siberian husky, Ivan. :)

I could see myself using these tools inside the classroom with my students in several different ways. I could create a mosaic collage of pictures to introduce myself at the beginning of the school year, almost as a way for my students to get to know me. In return, I could have them create their own collages too, and make it into a "show and tell" projects. I could also use this to create fun and educational displays, such as handouts with each subject that I teach, and as a cheaper alternative to decorate my classroom in posters. Hence, there are many ways to incorporate photo sharing and creative photo tools as a teacher.

Thing #7

I have heard a lot of hype about the site Flickr, but have to admit that I never really knew what it was all about. I did understand it was for photo sharing, but I figured it was like other sites I have visited before. However after searching through Flickr, I instantly understood why it has such popularity- users can upload and create "stories" with their photos. The search engine is easy to use and accurate while finding specific tags for photos or groups of photos. One reason why I enjoy this site compared to others similar to it is because it is interactive and has a sense of "community" to it. I could easily see Flickr being used in a school setting for students to search photos for projects.

                                                           Summer Sunset by: CubaGallery

I chose this photo because I love the colors; summer can't get here soon enough!

Thing #6

"We are anthropologists of commerce. We’re curious about people and what they make, exchange and consume. By looking around at the stuff that matters to our lives, we believe we can understand more about what moves us as human beings."

When it comes to the Web 2.0 Awards, Etsy.com is a FABULOUS site! Etsy provides an outlet to buy and sell handmade goods of many different categories. The reason why I absolutely love this site is because it gives any artist to spotlight their talents and sell them for profit; in other words, you don't have to be Martha Stewart! I hope to one day open my own account and sell some of my work! Some other features are found on the site, including blogs and videos covering different subjects like DIY, travel, and hot topics. It is obvious that the editors of the site care a lot about what they do and creating a community atmosphere for their users.

I could easily see this site being used in an academic setting because it can inspire students to create their own projects. I know in high school I used this site several times in my art class to help come up with ideas for paintings. It can also be a great way to demonstrate to students the economics of running a "company" or account and create products for consumers. There are several different approaches to using the site in an educational manner.

Provided are some different products you can find on Etsy:

Wooden Journal

Finger Puppets

Hooded Poncho

Canvased Photography

For a full list of categories (which there are a TON) check out the website. You never know, you might find your own inspiration. :)

Thing #5

Growing up, (like most others), I didn't have much access to technology. I was a 90's kid through and through, as the most television I watched consisted of Friday nights being glued to the television watching Corey and Topanga and other characters of TGIF shows. Though the internet was completely foreign to me when I was young, I did experience it more as a teenager when social networking sites grew in popularity. Beginning with message boards, AOL chat, Myspace, and eventually Facebook, I can say technology came into my teen years. However, the current young generations are beginning with this new Web 2.0 age, not knowing of a time before. It is not uncommon to see an elementary child with a laptop or iPhone, "twittering" or "facebooking" to their friends. (Websites are even changing our vocabulary- all you have to do is add an "ing" to the end of a site name! Isn't "googling" officially in a dictionary or something?)

It does not take a genius to discover that technology is changing the way of our future, including the future of education. The 2008 Horizons Report even shows how schools, universities, and educational companies are participating in internet media to connect to others, including students. Other perspectives, such as Teachers 2.0 and Web 2.0: A Guide to Educators, explain that it is our duty as educators to become involved and integrate it into our classrooms.

Technology is already a part of our lives and to embrace it and use it to our educational advantage will benefit our students.
And, hey, technology probably isn't going anywhere, huh? Let's put it to good use!