Summary

I cannot believe the 23 Things assignment is over! I really enjoyed going through all the "Things" and learning so much about web 2.0 tools! I had no idea how much there really was out there on the internet and this assignment really opened my eyes. I feel educated on the web 2.0 tools that are available to teachers. I really enjoyed using imagechef and flicker. I was able to express a little bit of my own personality through those exercises. I also enjoyed making the Animoto video. That was also an assignment that allowed me to let a little of my personality shine through during this project. I already know the 23 Things assignment has prepared me to be a better teacher. I was really clueless of all the interactive websites that are out there on the web and now knowing what is all out there, I believe my students are going to benefit from my knowledge of the educational internet tools. I plan on staying in touch with the web 2.0 tools by keeping up with Diigo and TeacherPop. Overall I felt this semester long assignment was very useful and beneficial for me as a future teacher.

Thing #23

Creative Commons is definitely very important to both teachers and students. Teachers have to be careful not to use anything that is copyrighted. I will definitely find a fun way to make sure my elementary students are aware of creative commons. The copyright law is one that everyone should know about and know how to properly site work that is not their own.

Thing #22

I chose to use the Education Podcast Network. The podcasts were neatly organized and really easy to use. I liked how you could either search podcasts by subject or grade level. I watched a podcast called Visit the Universe Around Us. It was a very informative podcast and it definitely showed me that podcasts are a great technology tool that should be used in the classroom. It actually did make me want to make another podcast. However, I did not find a podcast that I might want to subscribe to and listen to regularly but that does not mean there is not one out there. I am definitely going to use podcasts in my classroom when I become a teacher.

Thing #21

My Life

I really enjoyed making my 30 second video on Animoto. I liked picking out ten of my own pictures and I used a song from the Animoto music library. I definitely would use this site again in the future. It was really easy to make the video because everything was set up with very clear instructions.

Thing #20

I totally think that YouTube can be a beneficial aspect in the classroom. There are so many great educational videos on the site. The video I picked was about the solar system because that is what my project standard is about. You can also create an account and make your own videos and post them up on the site. A teacher could definitely use that to their advantage. Using video in the classroom appeals to multiple learning techniques. Since anyone can post something on the site, it is important that when using YouTube in the classroom it is closely monitored.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NIveh7h6Dg&feature=related

Thing #19

I am proud to say I am a member of the teacher social networking site, TeacherPop. I think this network is a great way for teachers and future teachers to share their creative teaching ideas. It is also a great site for teachers to just share how they are feeling and ask any questions they may have about teaching in general. I also checked out the Project Playlist social networking site and really enjoyed it! I love music so I thought it was really neat how you can make your own playlist of listen to other playlists already made up by other users. I could definitely see myself using this social networking site in the future.

Thing #18

This learning exercise was a lot of fun because I use social networking every day. I have a facebook account and I enjoy being able to stay connected with family and friends that are far away. It is important for educators to know how social networking works because it is the most commonly used form of transportation among students of all ages today. I like facebook because it is really easy to use and there is not a ridiculous amount of advertising like there is on some other social networking sites. I could see using facebook in the classroom. A special private group just for the class would have to be made and all students would have to have an account. There would have to be strong monitoring by the teacher for the younger students who would be using this networking site.

Thing #17

I was not a huge fan of the Delicious site. I like the Diggo social bookmarking site we use for class but I didn't really care for this one. I can see using social bookmarking in the classroom but not as much as some of the other web 2.0 tools we have learned about. Teachers can take advantage of the social bookmarking by being able to share educational websites with other teachers in an organized manner.

Thing #16

I chose the iGoggle start page. I am a fan of the Google search engine so I thought that might be a start page that I would like. I am definitely thinking about making it my homepage. I adjusted the page to have everything that I like to open up right away when I get onto my computer so I am considering making this my homepage. An online calendar can really be useful to me. I like to be organized and I use my student planner all the time. I am online often though and it would be nice to have something right in front of me instead of having to go into my backpack to find out what I need to do or what events are coming up. I always make to-do lists. I always write down things on paper that I have to get done. Making an online to-do list was pretty helpful however, I may just stick to the old pencil and paper method. I really did like the online calendar tool. I can definitely see myself using that in the classroom. I would suggest the iGoogle account to others because it is fun and you can totally personalize your home page!

Thing #15

Using a wiki was an interesting experience. It was kind of weird being able to change and edit other peoples ideas and pictures. I have used Wikipedia before to look up certain topics quickly. It really makes you realize that some of the things you may be reading on Wikipedia are not true. However it is nice when editors cite where they got their information. You could use a wiki in your classroom for getting quick announcements out to students and it's easy for you as a teacher to edit your information quickly.

Thing #14

I chose Gliffy for the flow chart. I thought that it was really easy to use! I felt that it was pretty self explanatory and fun. I found it easy to be creative while making my flow chart. For the mind map I used Bubbl.us. However I did not find it as easy to use as the flow chart site but it was not difficult to use. It took me a little longer to figure out where everything was and how to use the tools.

Thing #13

I thought the Zoho Accounts were really neat. I personally liked the Zoho writer a lot. I thought it was so cool that you could retrieve documents both online and offline and I really liked the organizational part of it. Plus, there were a ton of cool features like the enhanced sidebar and being able to tag your folders!