Thing #23 Reflection

This class has helped me branch out and explore more on the computer which is exactly what I needed. I lack confidence on the computer and get frustrated when I can't get things to work the way I think they should. This class gave me the opportunity to fail and then come back with fresh eyes and give it another try. I also asked family, friends, co-workers and students about their experiences with the "things". In many cases I learned something new and a few times I got to introduce them to something new. It has been a really nice introduction to new technology and I will definitely use my new skills and knowledge both in my personal and professional life. I would take another class like this and I'm even considering other tech classes offered by the district that didn't appeal to me before because I feel more confident now.

Cheers,
Amy

#22 Audiobooks

I'm not a huge fan of audiobooks in the first place. I like the act of reading and I tend to tune out while listening. I did poke around on the netlibrary and figured out how to do searches and such. They didn't have anything by my favorite author Barbara Kingsolver. It's great that there is access available through the library and now that I know I can share the good word. I know some people at work who like audio books. I'm guessing that it's not well known that this option is available through the library.

Thing #21 Podcasts

I've used podcasts on an ipod while I was commuting to Denver but have sense put them out of my mind and no longer have access to an ipod. It's nice to have the option of just listening to them online. I really enjoy NPR but don't always have access to it. It's so great to just be able to pull up stories when you want to which is of course very applicable in the classroom. It would be nice to listen to a short podcast and then have students journal or draw in reflection. My favorite NPR programs are Car Talk and This American Life.

I doubt many of my students would appreciate this but I know a few who would. I guess that's another nice thing! You could just email this link to students who you know would appreciate it.

Thing #20 You Tube

I think You Tube is a great resource and that it can be used by teachers to bring diversity to their lessons. I don't think it is a very good tool to set students loose with. I work in a high school and I see You Tube abused by students regularly. There is very little filtering and just too much inappropriate footage. It is also very easy to get distracted and off task when using it.

Ooh, I'm so proud of myself for figuring out how to get the video to show. I gave up yesterday but came back today and figured it out right away. Sometimes I feel like my eyes just glaze over from being on the computer for too long. I guess I just learned the value of taking a break and then coming back to it.

I really enjoy this version of such a classic song and I can't get it on pandora.

Thing #19 2.0

I used livemocha.com quite a bit this summer and found it to be very helpful. I was looking at purchasing the Rosetta Stone system which is really expensive. I started google searching for foreign language site and found live mocha which is a very similar learning experience and it's online and it's FREE! I think it's actually nicer than taking a class in many ways because you can go at your own pace and you can have things repeated as many times as you need. I didn't really like how they worked out the collaboration. As a native speaker you are supposed to review people's written work and it just seemed silly because you don't know what level they are at.
I recently discovered pandora.com an online radio site. I'm smitten with it. It is so perfect for me. I love music but I'm not good at DJing and I'm terrible with knowing artists and songs names. With pandora you just put in one artist you like and the site will come up with a station that plays music with a similar flavor. You can give each song a thumbs up or down. If you give it a thumbs down it never plays again, a thumbs up adds it to your play list. You can have multiple stations and it keeps them on your account. You can also share stations with friends. Did I mention it's FREE! The other great thing is it introduces you to new music and artists. It is truly my new favorite thing and I'm listening to my Frank Sinatra Holiday station right now...

Thing #18 Web based apps

I am so glad to be introduced to this tool. I have moved/traveled quite often and I always email my important documents to myself in order to have them wherever I go next. This is such a practical tool to allow you access to your documents no matter where you are. Over the holiday I plan on working on my resume while I'm in Montana. This way I can access it anywhere!! I like the features on Zoho as well. One small complaint, when I copy and pasted a document from word the spacing turned out funny. This is so practical for students as well. I've been working with students on building their resume and with Zoho they will be able to access it at the library or wherever they need so that they can keep up with it. Brilliant!!

Thing #17 PBWiki

I can see the advantage of using this in a high school classroom. I can also see it being frustrating and time consuming to set up. Its seems like once you got in figured out and flowing it would be a nice and convenient tool if your students have enough computer access. Many students do not have access outside of school and sometimes limited time/access at school. This may create problems if you were relying on using a PBWiki.
I didn't see a link for the Rocky Mountain PBWiki. I also searched for it and couldn't find it. I'm thinking that may be another challenge is being able to find the wiki you are looking for.

Thing #16 Wiki

I knew that wikipedia was not considered a credible source but I didn't know why. I didn't realize that anyone could get on and add something. There are many pros to this system of collaboration and just as many cons. I enjoyed checking out the book lovers wiki. Its a nice way to share information and book reviews are subjective anyway so credibility isn't really an issue. I also checked out the ALA conference wiki. This seems like a useful tool to collaborate for an event. I am a lindy hop dancer and attend national events called exchanges where dancers from all over come together for long weekends of dancing in various cities. This would be a nice tool so that people could add what they think is relevant to the event/location.

Thing #15 Library 2.0

I didn't realize how ingrained advancing technology is with libraries. Its interesting to think about the changes that technology has brought about in terms of libraries and how much more effective technology allows libraries to be. The search functions for the library database allow for much easier access than the old school card catalog. I also didn't realize how invested libraries are in keeping up to date with technology for the public to have access to. These articles made me think about how much more libraries handle than books.

Thing #14 Technorati

There is so much out there it is incredible! I think it would be nice to have students create a blog with their artwork on it. That could be part of each assignment to post it on their blog. It would be a good way for them to keep a record of their art and a nice way to able to share it. Using Technorati to tag their posts would be helpful.

Thing #13 Del.icio.us

This is a nice tool to keep track of sites that you enjoy using and be able to access your list from anywhere. I especially enjoy the sharing component. Its nice to see what sites other people use and explore a bit. I tend to get stuck in a rut of using the same sites so its nice to branch out. I think it would be useful to use this in collaborating with my department.

#12 Rollyo

I think this could be a really useful tool when you are doing research on the web with classes. It would just help you focus the class on truly useful sites and keep them on track. Sometimes google searches can be overwhelming and filtering through all the information is a task in and of itself. http://www.rollyo.com/index.html I don't really understand how to share the search that I created though.

#11 Library Thing

http://www.librarything.com/catalog/twinklerose22
I'm going to share this with my book club. We always have a difficult time coming up with a new book and this will be a nice resource to use. I also enoy learning about new author's and having the opportunity to discuss books. I'm going to talk to some of my students about it too. I have a couple of students that are very into reading but keep it pretty quiet because it's "not cool" to talk about books. This might give them the chance to connect with other people in an inviting way.

#10 Generators

How Fun!! I love the creativity you can bring to the table and what you can create. I can see my students really getting into this.

#9 Finding Feeds

I was suprised how many sites I use have RSS feeds. I now that my awareness is heightened, the best method for me to find useful feeds is just to notice them on sites I visit. I found the hunting for them to be a bit annoying and time consuming to see if its something I'm actually interested in. I like the spanish word of the day feed because it keeps me thinking and attempting to learn a little spanish.

Thing #8 RSS feeds

I like that RSS feeds encourage you to keep up with what's new. I think it would be valuable in the classroom to have a few news feeds and art feeds that you could check on with the students at least once or possibly daily. You could just take a peak and then have them journal or sketch on whatever is new. Its a nice way to bring in real world news and information and use technology. I was suprised in talking to different people how may use RSS feeds. The tech guy at our school was a little disgusted that the school site didn't have a feed.