Thing #12: Google's Devices
Let me just start by stating that I had no idea that Google offered so many different tools! I was overwhelmed by all of the neat applications that were available for free through Google. I cannot believe that it has taken me this long to learn about all of these tools.
I began by exploring Google Alerts. I thought it sounded extremely useful and found that it was extraordinarily easy to set up. All I did was go to Google Alerts and type in a subject that I am interested in. I could narrow the results by choosing to get alerts from blogs only or websites only. I could also choose if I wanted to get alerts daily, weekly, or monthly. I chose to get weekly alerts about any article that has to do with education. So, I will receive an email with links to different websites, blogs, and other media sources that contain references to education. Right after I set up my alerts, I received my first email. I have to say, it sure will cut down on the time it would have taken to search for and locate pertinent articles.
The educational uses are incredible. Since I am going to be an English teacher, I could receive alerts about when a blogger uploads new English lesson plans. Similarly, I could get alerts about news articles referring to Common Core Standards or No Child Left Behind. If I were a History teacher, I could get updated news on the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. The possibilities are endless.
I also chose to use the Google Translate tool. Since there was no link that I could provide for readers to access what I translated, I will post a few different translations below.
English:
Hello. My name is Miranda and I am learning about technology. It is really hard!
Spanish:
Hola. Mi nombre es Miranda y estoy aprendiendo sobre la tecnología. Es muy duro!
French:
Bonjour. Mon nom est Miranda et j'apprends sur la technologie. Il est vraiment difficile!
German:
Hallo. Mein Name ist Miranda und ich bin über die Technik zu lernen. Es ist wirklich schwer!
Chinese:
您好！我的名字是米兰达和我正在学习有关技术。这是真的很难！
Once again, the educational uses are endless. If you are teaching a class that contains multiple ELL students, you could translate your syllabus or any notes to parents into their native tongue. It would potentially open up the avenue of communication between you and the parents.
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Thing #11: Searching for Blogs
Thing #11: Searching for Blogs
When searching for blogs, I found the Google Blog Search the easiest. I just went to Google Reader and clicked on "subscribe." Once the search bar came up, I just typed in the topic for the blog I was looking for and it brought up blogs that matched the criteria. It was incredibly easy and I was able to find my friends' blogs and some blogs with English lesson plans.
I also tried to use Topix.net and I got very confused. It almost seemed like a search engine and gave me results that linked me to different websites. I may have used it incorrectly, but I was very lost.
I found all kinds of neat blogs. One of my friends has a blog about cooking, so I was able to find that one. I also found my friend's blog about her bulldog, which is really funny to read. Aside from locating blogs of people that I know, I found a few sites that were tailored for English teachers. There was one that had all kinds of lesson plans available and another one had tips and tricks for the English classroom.
Like I stated earlier, I found the blogs through Google Reader. I clicked on "subscribe" and it allowed me to search for certain topics. I'm not sure if I searched for blogs correctly through the other venues, but Google Reader was effective.
When searching for blogs, I found the Google Blog Search the easiest. I just went to Google Reader and clicked on "subscribe." Once the search bar came up, I just typed in the topic for the blog I was looking for and it brought up blogs that matched the criteria. It was incredibly easy and I was able to find my friends' blogs and some blogs with English lesson plans.
I also tried to use Topix.net and I got very confused. It almost seemed like a search engine and gave me results that linked me to different websites. I may have used it incorrectly, but I was very lost.
I found all kinds of neat blogs. One of my friends has a blog about cooking, so I was able to find that one. I also found my friend's blog about her bulldog, which is really funny to read. Aside from locating blogs of people that I know, I found a few sites that were tailored for English teachers. There was one that had all kinds of lesson plans available and another one had tips and tricks for the English classroom.
Like I stated earlier, I found the blogs through Google Reader. I clicked on "subscribe" and it allowed me to search for certain topics. I'm not sure if I searched for blogs correctly through the other venues, but Google Reader was effective.
Monday, September 24, 2012
Thing #10: RSS Feeds
Thing # 10: RSS Feeds
Setting up my RSS feed was so easy! I thought that the process would be difficult, but it was so simple. I love that I can subscribe to certain blogs and be able to easily access them anytime, rather than having to search for a particular blog every time I want to access it. Honestly, without the RSS feed, I probably would not follow blogs because it would be too difficult to locate the ones I would want to read every time. With the RSS feed, it was so easy to subscribe to a few blogs that I would want to read all the time.
This type of technology has so many possibilities for use in my personal and teaching career. With regard to my personal life, I can easily follow my friends' blogs, subscribe to a cooking blog, or follow a beauty website. However, I could use the RSS feed to subscribe to blogs that are relevant to English, to follow blogs with ideas on teaching strategies, or follow a blog with lesson plan ideas. It would be incredibly simple to log on and follow only the blogs that are interesting to me.
Teachers can utilize the RSS tool by subscribing to blogs and sites that will help them in their teaching career. With RSS, Google reader will update the teacher when the website has been updated. This way, the teacher can eliminate hours of searching a website for an update.
Setting up my RSS feed was so easy! I thought that the process would be difficult, but it was so simple. I love that I can subscribe to certain blogs and be able to easily access them anytime, rather than having to search for a particular blog every time I want to access it. Honestly, without the RSS feed, I probably would not follow blogs because it would be too difficult to locate the ones I would want to read every time. With the RSS feed, it was so easy to subscribe to a few blogs that I would want to read all the time.
This type of technology has so many possibilities for use in my personal and teaching career. With regard to my personal life, I can easily follow my friends' blogs, subscribe to a cooking blog, or follow a beauty website. However, I could use the RSS feed to subscribe to blogs that are relevant to English, to follow blogs with ideas on teaching strategies, or follow a blog with lesson plan ideas. It would be incredibly simple to log on and follow only the blogs that are interesting to me.
Teachers can utilize the RSS tool by subscribing to blogs and sites that will help them in their teaching career. With RSS, Google reader will update the teacher when the website has been updated. This way, the teacher can eliminate hours of searching a website for an update.
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Thing #9: Image Chef
Thing #9: Image Chef
I began this experiment by going to www.imagechef.com and I made my first image. It was pretty neat designing different types of images and I made one with one of my favorite quotes: Live. Laugh. Love.
Next, I went to http://www.comicstripgenerator.com/ and created a comic strip of how I feel when I am dealing with technology.
I began this experiment by going to www.imagechef.com and I made my first image. It was pretty neat designing different types of images and I made one with one of my favorite quotes: Live. Laugh. Love.
Next, I went to http://www.comicstripgenerator.com/ and created a comic strip of how I feel when I am dealing with technology.
I really liked making these images and I think it would be neat to make comic strips to post in my classroom. Since I am going to be an English teacher, it would be pretty funny to create some comic strips that deal with the misuse of grammar. You could also make other types of posters for your classroom, containing the steps of the writing process or favorite quotes.
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Thing #8: Family Art Studio
Thing #8: Family Art Studio
I tried the Family Art Studio mashup. It is a site that allows you to create neat words, such as your name, your children's name, or any other word/sentence you can imagine. It allows you to change the letters, the font, the color, the background, and the border of your word.
I'm not really sure how this particular mashup can be used in the classroom aside from making a neat sign with your last name. Elementary teachers could make name tags for each of their students' desks, or you could create posters with quotes on them.
I think that Flickr could be used more effectively than the mashup that I explored. A picture is worth a thousand words, right? A teacher in any discipline can find an image to supplement their lesson on Flickr. If you are teaching about different types of trees, you could create a book with examples of different species. An English teacher could find examples of propaganda techniques. There are many possibilities for the use of Flickr in the classroom; however I think that some subjects could utilize it more fully than others.
I tried the Family Art Studio mashup. It is a site that allows you to create neat words, such as your name, your children's name, or any other word/sentence you can imagine. It allows you to change the letters, the font, the color, the background, and the border of your word.
I'm not really sure how this particular mashup can be used in the classroom aside from making a neat sign with your last name. Elementary teachers could make name tags for each of their students' desks, or you could create posters with quotes on them.
I think that Flickr could be used more effectively than the mashup that I explored. A picture is worth a thousand words, right? A teacher in any discipline can find an image to supplement their lesson on Flickr. If you are teaching about different types of trees, you could create a book with examples of different species. An English teacher could find examples of propaganda techniques. There are many possibilities for the use of Flickr in the classroom; however I think that some subjects could utilize it more fully than others.
Thing #7: September 11-The World Kept Turning
Thing #7: September 11-The World Kept Turning
September 11th is a day that is forever burned into my memory. I can still remember exactly where I was sitting in my Algebra II class, who was occupying the seat beside me, and even the topic of the day (quadratic equations). I vaguely remember the feeling of drowsiness, struggling to stay awake during one of my teacher's most boring lessons. Then, as cliche as it seems, the world seemed to stop for a moment as we had another teacher rush into the room and tell us that the Twin Towers had been struck by two airplanes.
All was confusion-chaos. No one seemed to understand how such a tragedy could have happened and everyone sat awestruck as the information was slowly absorbed. Now, here we are 11 years later and most people can tell you exactly where they were when the world stopped turning.
So, for this Flickr project, I explored images of September 11. I used the key words "when the world stopped turning" and did not find an image that resounded with me. I tried looking through different groups that were available and still could not find an image that matched the nostalgia in my heart. So I used the keyword "September 11" and found a beautiful image of one of the most mellow and extraordinary sunsets. The caption below the photo states, "September 11, 2011. 10 years later..." (BrandonBphotography).
Today, Flickr allowed me to find an image of what September 11 means to me. It is a day of remembering those we have lost, which the blood red sunset symbolizes; it is a day to love our country; it is a day to reflect on the beauty around us despite the sadness in our hearts.
The world may have Paused for a dreadful instant when too many loved one left this earth, but we pressed Play and resumed spinning. We will never forget, but we can choose to see the beauty that surrounds us.
If anyone would like to see the image that moved me today, it can be viewed at http://www.flickr.com/photos/bmbimages/6138871943/
Now, I know that this URL is linked to a web page and not to an actual image, but it was the most touching picture that I could find. Unfortunately, the photographer only allows the URL to the website to be shared, and not the actual image. So, I included it here so everyone can see it.
I did find another image that was similar and can be found at http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2536/4185187020_e646f2cee3_z.jpg. This image was taken by Ariful H Bhuiyan.
September 11th is a day that is forever burned into my memory. I can still remember exactly where I was sitting in my Algebra II class, who was occupying the seat beside me, and even the topic of the day (quadratic equations). I vaguely remember the feeling of drowsiness, struggling to stay awake during one of my teacher's most boring lessons. Then, as cliche as it seems, the world seemed to stop for a moment as we had another teacher rush into the room and tell us that the Twin Towers had been struck by two airplanes.
All was confusion-chaos. No one seemed to understand how such a tragedy could have happened and everyone sat awestruck as the information was slowly absorbed. Now, here we are 11 years later and most people can tell you exactly where they were when the world stopped turning.
So, for this Flickr project, I explored images of September 11. I used the key words "when the world stopped turning" and did not find an image that resounded with me. I tried looking through different groups that were available and still could not find an image that matched the nostalgia in my heart. So I used the keyword "September 11" and found a beautiful image of one of the most mellow and extraordinary sunsets. The caption below the photo states, "September 11, 2011. 10 years later..." (BrandonBphotography).
Today, Flickr allowed me to find an image of what September 11 means to me. It is a day of remembering those we have lost, which the blood red sunset symbolizes; it is a day to love our country; it is a day to reflect on the beauty around us despite the sadness in our hearts.
The world may have Paused for a dreadful instant when too many loved one left this earth, but we pressed Play and resumed spinning. We will never forget, but we can choose to see the beauty that surrounds us.
If anyone would like to see the image that moved me today, it can be viewed at http://www.flickr.com/photos/bmbimages/6138871943/
Now, I know that this URL is linked to a web page and not to an actual image, but it was the most touching picture that I could find. Unfortunately, the photographer only allows the URL to the website to be shared, and not the actual image. So, I included it here so everyone can see it.
I did find another image that was similar and can be found at http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2536/4185187020_e646f2cee3_z.jpg. This image was taken by Ariful H Bhuiyan.
Thing #6: Youtube
Thing #6: Youtube
When I was looking at the list of the top 100 Web 2.0 tools, I found that I was at least familiar with some of them. For example, I have a Facebook account, as I am sure all of you have as well, and I usually check it daily. Similarly, I have used Amazon to buy textbooks, Paypal to pay for those books, Google, and Youtube (just to name a few).
One of the tools that I use all of the time is Youtube. I will admit that I generally use it to sit and watch motorcycle stunts with my two boys, but I also use it for all kinds of tutorials. I chose to explore Youtube because it is such an easy navigable tool for even novices. While playing around with Youtube, I found a video by Micheal Welden on how a teacher can use Web 2.0 tools in their classroom. Obviously, this video could be extremely useful to any teacher who wants to begin incorporating technology into the classroom.
The only aspect of Youtube that I dislike is that anyone can upload a video on Youtube. Therefore, the reliability and validity of the video comes into play. I wish there was a professionals tab, where videos posted by professionals could be accessed. Other than that, Youtube is a fantastic tool that teachers can use in order to learn new skills and to use as instructional aids in the classroom.
The video that I watched can be accessed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ly5QGZVaQqk
When I was looking at the list of the top 100 Web 2.0 tools, I found that I was at least familiar with some of them. For example, I have a Facebook account, as I am sure all of you have as well, and I usually check it daily. Similarly, I have used Amazon to buy textbooks, Paypal to pay for those books, Google, and Youtube (just to name a few).
One of the tools that I use all of the time is Youtube. I will admit that I generally use it to sit and watch motorcycle stunts with my two boys, but I also use it for all kinds of tutorials. I chose to explore Youtube because it is such an easy navigable tool for even novices. While playing around with Youtube, I found a video by Micheal Welden on how a teacher can use Web 2.0 tools in their classroom. Obviously, this video could be extremely useful to any teacher who wants to begin incorporating technology into the classroom.
The only aspect of Youtube that I dislike is that anyone can upload a video on Youtube. Therefore, the reliability and validity of the video comes into play. I wish there was a professionals tab, where videos posted by professionals could be accessed. Other than that, Youtube is a fantastic tool that teachers can use in order to learn new skills and to use as instructional aids in the classroom.
The video that I watched can be accessed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ly5QGZVaQqk
Thing #5 Web 2.0
Thing #5: Web 2.0
Web 2.0 is essentially a makeover for the Internet. Before Web 2.0, the Internet generally consisted of web pages that web designers created for the general public. These web pages contained information but were not interactive. However, Web 2.0 came along and revamped the Internet. Instead of web pages, interactive social media pages were created. Blogs, Facebook, Twitter, and chatboards allowed users to interface and interact with each other virtually. Eventually these interactive avenues infiltrated the school systems and School 2.0 was born.
School 2.0, to me, is the virtual aspect of education. For example, distance learning has exploded in popularity and was made possible with tools such as APSU's Desire2Learn system. High schools have also embraced the School 2.0 mindset by allowing students to participate in "Credit Recovery" programs. These programs are online and allow students the opportunity to earn credit for classes they had previously failed by completing lessons and tests online. Of course, this is just one example of how Web 2.0 ideologies have been implemented at both the college level and the high school level.
Judging by the popularity of distance learning, I can imagine that Web 2.0 will continue to change education in the future. Eventually, children in poor parts of the world may have access to the same caliber of education as students in more prosperous parts of the world through distance learning programs. Students may even have the opportunity to attend lectures by logging into the virtual "classroom" through web cams. In fact, it might even be possible now! The possibilities are endless and I cannot even begin to imagine how drastically technology will change the education system in 30 years.
Web 2.0 is essentially a makeover for the Internet. Before Web 2.0, the Internet generally consisted of web pages that web designers created for the general public. These web pages contained information but were not interactive. However, Web 2.0 came along and revamped the Internet. Instead of web pages, interactive social media pages were created. Blogs, Facebook, Twitter, and chatboards allowed users to interface and interact with each other virtually. Eventually these interactive avenues infiltrated the school systems and School 2.0 was born.
School 2.0, to me, is the virtual aspect of education. For example, distance learning has exploded in popularity and was made possible with tools such as APSU's Desire2Learn system. High schools have also embraced the School 2.0 mindset by allowing students to participate in "Credit Recovery" programs. These programs are online and allow students the opportunity to earn credit for classes they had previously failed by completing lessons and tests online. Of course, this is just one example of how Web 2.0 ideologies have been implemented at both the college level and the high school level.
Judging by the popularity of distance learning, I can imagine that Web 2.0 will continue to change education in the future. Eventually, children in poor parts of the world may have access to the same caliber of education as students in more prosperous parts of the world through distance learning programs. Students may even have the opportunity to attend lectures by logging into the virtual "classroom" through web cams. In fact, it might even be possible now! The possibilities are endless and I cannot even begin to imagine how drastically technology will change the education system in 30 years.
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Thing #4: Commenting is the Spice of Life!
Thing #4
A blog without comments is essentially a personal journal. A writer composes a public blog in the hopes that others will read it, appreciate it, and give feedback. Thus, commenting allows a writer to gauge what is important to readers and inspires the writer to continue writing. By commenting, readers build a camaraderie and virtual relationship with the blogger.
For this assignment, I commented on a few of my classmates' blogs. I found a couple of the blogs witty and appreciated the colorful writings of Paige Samples and Satricia Moore. I also commented on Barrett Crane's, Stacey Horton's , and Sean Talamas's blog posts. All of these blogs contained different insights into the personalities of the writers, and I generally commented on the ideas contained within each post.
Because I love to cook and am interested in beauty, I found two different blogs that addressed these interests. The blog about cooking gave instructions about how to create a specific type of omelet. I then cooked the omelet according to the directions and commented on how good the recipe was. I also commented on a beauty blog that described how to apply Sally Hansen nail strips.
The two blogs can be accessed below:
http://sammichesandhighheels.blogspot.com/2012/08/care-to-have-some-morphine-with-your.html?showComment=1347165213715#c7007863600434281408
http://www.mesovain.blogspot.com/2012/08/sally-hansen-nail-polish-strips-essie.html
Ultimately, commenting is the fuel of blogging. Without it, the blogosphere would cease to exist.
A blog without comments is essentially a personal journal. A writer composes a public blog in the hopes that others will read it, appreciate it, and give feedback. Thus, commenting allows a writer to gauge what is important to readers and inspires the writer to continue writing. By commenting, readers build a camaraderie and virtual relationship with the blogger.
For this assignment, I commented on a few of my classmates' blogs. I found a couple of the blogs witty and appreciated the colorful writings of Paige Samples and Satricia Moore. I also commented on Barrett Crane's, Stacey Horton's , and Sean Talamas's blog posts. All of these blogs contained different insights into the personalities of the writers, and I generally commented on the ideas contained within each post.
Because I love to cook and am interested in beauty, I found two different blogs that addressed these interests. The blog about cooking gave instructions about how to create a specific type of omelet. I then cooked the omelet according to the directions and commented on how good the recipe was. I also commented on a beauty blog that described how to apply Sally Hansen nail strips.
The two blogs can be accessed below:
http://sammichesandhighheels.blogspot.com/2012/08/care-to-have-some-morphine-with-your.html?showComment=1347165213715#c7007863600434281408
http://www.mesovain.blogspot.com/2012/08/sally-hansen-nail-polish-strips-essie.html
Ultimately, commenting is the fuel of blogging. Without it, the blogosphere would cease to exist.
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