Thing 24

With all the Web 2.0 resources that I have discovered, many were interesting, and some were impressive. I am thankful to come across "RSS" feeds (along with Google Reader), as I look forward to using it to keep me informed with the most current Web tools, and having it organized in such away that prevents me for wasting time on information that is outdated or uninteresting. I also thankful to be introduced to "LiveBinders,"another tool I look forward to simplifying my life, especially my job as a teacher. I have one site that I can store pages of interest to help me as a teacher and that same site I can explore more material to address the needs of my students, such as the ones who may need extra help mastering a newly learned skill or to provide resources to parents whose children are advanced in their learning. This blog is useful in itself, and I intend to use it as a reference to select a Web tool that maybe I haven't consider after establishing myself in the classroom.

Thing 23

The creator of "Learning 2.0 - 23 Things for Teachers" adopted the idea originally designed for "The Mosquite Independent School System." Anne Wall received permission to use duplicate their idea. Having learned Creative Commons is a licensed way to share protected information, I would use it when publishing videos, lesson plans or ideas to provide people the permission to duplicate them. I would also teach my students to consider the benefits of searching for information that have been placed under Creative Commons, as well as send them to links such as "creativecommons.org"to ensure a deep understanding of the what this license means.

Thing 22

"LiveBinders" is like a physical filing system. I like how each tab contains a folder per web page, that can be easily accessed by person of interest. These pages can include the following: in-depth information on a topic, lesson plans, ideas for the classroom, activities and assignments that support skills and new concepts learned in the class. As a teacher in leave of absence, I can ensure my substitute teachers have what they need to fully operate my class, by posting all assignments and activities, as well as other information needed in "LiveBinders," making a tab labeled "for substitute teachers." I definitely think allowing teachers to snag other teachers binders is their 2nd best asset. The site makes it easy for teachers by providing various categories of interest ranging from subject to grade level. Lastly, this is a great tool for parents to use, as it by passing the possibility of recommended data getting lost or confusing the parents as to which is important. The parent can clearly identify, per subject, resources they can use to help their children improve academically. In my account I created three binders for: Science, Math, and Language Arts. Here is a link to my "Science" binder. Enjoy!

Thing 21

Make your own slideshow with music at Animoto.

I was surprised to find how simple making the video was. The site clearly walks its users through their simple steps to create the video, which I anticipated making the video involving more technical tools and steps. I like how Animoto, which is a high-scaled power point slide show, already has photos for me to sample, including the option to load my own. I can also choose a song from a list they already provide. After going through the steps, the site provides a preview in a new window. I will say after watching my first made video I was impressed the way the pictures changed with the rhythm of the song.

Thing 20

Youtube has a wide range of content to choose from. I like that I kind find music, view a movie trailer, and find "do-it-yourself" videos, like how to wear a Hijab. Learning how to add a video from YouTube to a blog or a slideshow was an equivalent feeling to learning how to ride a bike: it's something I wanted to do, and now that I know how, nothings going to be in the way of taking advantage.

Thing 19

With the exception of creating an account on TeacherPop,and Facebook, I am not apart of an online community. Facebook was appealing because it allows me to touch bases with the people I had some level of connection to; evenmore, did I like the idea of closing the gap between my family (staying connected) as we live 7+ hrs apart. Im one of those people who envies people who can express themselves artistically, as art was clearly a talent for me to display; however, it shouldn't stop me from making art, now that people are sharing how they create theirs, I can immulate (or close to it) their work, and even if I give credit to the original owner, people will still admire me for copying the work. And that's just what I intend to use crafters for.

Thing 18

Teachers that don't see the value in social networking miss out on opportunities to receive feedback, advice, or just great ideas in a convenient way; not only is it convenient for people to exchange ideas, but the exchanges are coming from teachers beyond their school. Diversity is needed in the workforce, and the wider the range the more likely teachers are to receive what is more beneficial to them in a less time constraint way. Teachers, who are not networking, will not see how it can be used as a tool to enhance student learning. I learned that using the search engine, not only does a list of people well associated with that subject generates, but also peoples tweets that contain that very same word, in which both helps in making a decision to follow someone or not. The one thing I dislike is the email notification: I received two emails from them just for setting it up. In search of unsubscribing "email notification," I found myself on a page that left it up to me to infer the best way to "unsubscribe." I would choose twitter over Facebook in terms of allowing a social network in my class. Twitter requires people to think about background information that is missing from the tweet. Twitter, as I discovered from a previous "thing" can be used for students to connect with other classes: beyond the classroom, school, city, etc. If it was possible for my students to connect with students in another country, it would captivate them! They’d have a chance to learn similarities that resonate with them on a personal level or a cultural level; furthermore, students can learn how people and cultures vary in values, attitudes and structure. In closing I have provided a link to my twitter account. Thank you for visiting!

Thing 17

I think the bookmarking tool is a "innovative!" I see it as the tool that I need; for instance having the ability to see how many people are interested in an article or site would prompt me to explore it myself. It does make searching for sites simple, not to mention, its not confined to my PC-I can view it from any computer or Mac. Lastly, sites like Digg has a litany of categories to place the article or page under. I look forward to using this tool simply for help in developing and implementing lesson plans. I could also allow my students to use this feature as it would make it easier for them to locate sites that contain lessons, and games.