Week 5 - Thing # 11

I'm back... I've been "playing around" but have not posted my experiences. There were many. While reviewing the award winning lists, I discovered some familiar ones were winners. That helps support my decision making to use them. I liked the categories to help sort through the many sites. I did grow weary of "looking" after awhile because there is so much to "do/see". The cooking category imcooked.com is an interesting place for cooks that want to showcase their recipes and talents. The wiki spaces category is another favorite. Wikispace has a free offer for a private space to use for teachers. I think this will be useful for my Religion classes to start out with. The privacy allows the students to explore/share/write amongst their peers in a safe place. There is a size limit and so I am not sure how much I can have before "we are full". I generally have at least 155 students. I'll be researching this. For starters, I can see this space useful to discuss a book , a specific Scripture passage/book, or artwork that is related to our studies. I can envision my students using this site to write collaboratively. One concern was that the security software on my laptop indicated a potential phishing site at the wiki login. That is a concern. I do have anti-phishing software to check each page-I'll see what happens. Overall this was a resource packed exercise and very helpful in my planning.

Week 5- Thing 10



After playing with the image generator sites, I chose to upload this "Headline" image. I think image generators could be used in the class blog and or wiki assignments in our Old Testament (Moses) unit. This is a vital turning point in Scripture and for personal reflection. I envision them having some creative fun while embedding English ( cross curriculum) writing skills at the same time. One of the other images I will use is the animated section. On Valentine's Day each of my students receives a Valentine from God and they are asked to create one for Him. It is a short written personal reflection activity that fits nicely with this tool.

Week 4- Thing 9

The discovery journey took me to places that an "information lover" could easily spend all day searching, reading,pondering, replying...... forever. Almost "information overload". Each of the suggested sites were easy enough to search and follow. I discovered the common craft videos on you tube. I love them as they explain these tools in clear and simple ways-quickly. I must for us Type A people. :) While poking around, I grew tired of the blog conversation log because much of the blogs were not something I was interested in reading , even though keywords/topics were in there somewhere. On the other hand, I did find some interesting and though provoking blogs from students... the 21st century learners we are working with now. I value what they think and say and it is fascinating to "see" learning with their eyes and what they value as important learning tools and needs for the future workplace.
They creatively learn "stuff" everyday, why should our classes, where they spend hours a day be so different? Is it the "losing the control" feeling or "this (technology) is just a fad thinking? Do "we" fear the unknown? Are we unwilling to change because "we" know better or this "is the way it has always been done"? Questions to ponder for me in my life and planning. Not only am I a teacher, but I have a 21st century learner (tween) that I am responsible for first. This experience has shed light not only on my teaching, but on my daughter's schooling as well. Am I helping prepare her for this new world? What about her teachers.....?

On another side reflection:
I love to cook and garden. I was comparing how "things" have evolved over time in these areas. Think about how new ways to cook or grow vegetables have spurred new growth, productivity and enjoyment. Often times the "new" ways were (are) rejected or doubted for some of the same reasons we do so in the classroom. For example, today I bought the "Topsy Turvy" tomato growing bag. You plant everything in reverse- plant first (hanging out of the "end"), then the soil and then water. You hang the bag and let it grow. Who would have imagined that to be possible? My husband's agricultural visit to Spain a few years ago highlighted their unique ways of growing crops to adapt to their growing/environment challenges. He was surprised to say the least at what he was able to learn. Okay, enough about applying hobbies to the task at hand, I guess this is my " written mashup" for the day.

Week 4- Thing 8

This week's assignment was to investigate RSS feeds. I created a Google reader and subscribed to some News,gardening, and Catholic sites that are of interest to me. I have chosen a few to share that might be helpful for planning in Religious Studies ( my class focus). The feeds can be used to bring current posts about events and reflections that are meaningful for quick viewing. I like the way that the feeds come to you rather than having to spend time checking for updates.
I'm thinking about how I will use RSS feeds for the classroom blogs that I have planned for this upcoming academic year. I linked some of my favorites on the "shared" section of this blog.

Week 3- Thing 7

We were assigned to comment on any technology area of interest from this week. In my "travels" through flickr and linked apps I am so excited. I feel like I have finally discovered the "buried treasure" that I have been looking for and get to share the "loot" with everyone. I look forward to creating new uses of technology in my classes. Adding the input of my students and colleagues, this should be a fascinating year! I especially like the flexibility of using photos- one of our students' favorite things to "play" with. Turning them loose to create class cards with images or creating their projects tied into their own "exodus" experiences should keep them engaged. I will be totally engaged as we work together with new technology. One of the other new sites I came across is Moodle. More on that exploration later.

Week 3- Thing 6

Wow! It is so amazing what is available to use personally and professionally. While looking at the different apps out there, so many ideas came rushing in that I had to jot down notes. I created a "Landmark Quiz " trading card from a vacation photo thinking how I could utilize these cards with the Bible characters in my classes. The movie/magazine posters would be a fun project to introduce the Scripture Stories.

Week 3- Thing 5

After browsing through FLICKR, I found many great pictures. One I wanted to use, had share this but also marked with "all rights reserved" so I decided to upload a picture of mine instead. This picture taken from the camp my daughter attends reflects beauty,fun, and adventure in one shot. That reflection is how I view this workshop using technology: the beautiful gift that technology is to us, the fun we can have using it properly, and the adventure of trying new things. Just like the slide, once your on board you are committed to going on the ride..you can enjoy it or have a fearful ride to the bottom. Either way, you will get your feet wet, so it seems more fun to enjoy it. Uploading the picture I took was not difficult and I was able to include it without problems. Now I need to work on my picture taking.

Week 2- Thing 4

After creating the Blog, I had to register it with the Region Workshop. That was easy to do, but hard to remember when re-typing it for others to access. I had to re-submit because of a self-discovered error. Oops! I do want those continuing education credits. :)
I have also invited some readers. We will see how that goes: Can they log in easily? Do they want to read my blog? Will I keep up with the postings? The fun continues...

Week 2- Thing 3

I know that a week has not gone by, but I have had the chance to spend some time on the workshop. We were asked to set-up a blog, add an avatar , and add a post. Obviously, I have done that or you would not be seeing this blog entry. It was a fairly easily process. The detailed instructions empower you to complete the Blog with ease. The hardest part was thinking of a name. Looking around for tips on the web helped me focus on a name that I could use beyond this assignment. I hope to continue sharing as the year goes by so I chose something that might be meaningful to others also- a place to collaborate. The avatar was easy to create but exporting took me longer. With the coaching of my colleague, I was able to complete what I had tried to do (unsuccessfully) earlier. Sharing the experience makes it more fun and learning is easier. I think that I could do without an avatar, but perhaps I do not have a full understanding of its purpose. It does provide some "life" to the blog besides print. I have chosen to keep it "invitation only" for readers because I am still not 100% comfortable with complete open access. Not out of unwillingness to share ideas but opening up to the "unknown" . Once I become more skilled in managing a blog ( and actually knowing what I am talking about), I'll probably open it up and give it a try.

Week 1- Thing 2 (continued)

After viewing the 7 1/2 habits slide show, I have been thinking about what was shared.
The assignment for workshop was to blog about which of the seven habits is the easiest and which is the hardest to keep. I love learning, so the easiest is to accept responsibility for my own learning ( habit 2). I regularly participate in discussions,classes, research and collaborate with colleagues. The hardest is to use technology to my advantage in the classroom. It is the hardest because that is an area that I have not taken enough time to actually plan and use newer strategies in my teaching. I think I am hesitant because I am not sure what would be the next best step for my classes. My goal for the upcoming year is to include a classroom blog as part of my classes. I have already created another blog ( before this workshop) for this purpose. Now, I can set it up properly. So I have made a "baby step" forward. Yeah!

Online workshop summary (23 things)Week 1- Thing 1

My journey begins from the Learning 2.0 23 Things Online Workshop.....

Week 1-Thing 1:
I have successfully logged in and officially begun my adventure in blogging!
The instructions provided by the online workshop were very easy to understand.
Thing 2- 71/2 Habits:
I enjoyed the presentation. The combination of verbal and visual methods made it easy to learn.