Final Thoughts

This class was awesome!! My favorite part of the "23 Things" was the online image generator, the Animoto site, and the podcast activity. This program has definitely had an impact on my lifelong learning goals in that I plan to use the internet more frequently in the future now that I am familiar with so many valuable sites. In the past, I did not get too involved with the internet. I thought the few "good" applications would be too difficult to learn. Now I know that most of the sites are easy to use and have many valuable benefits to the world of education. It would be easy to forget all of this stuff now that the class is over, however I find that this information is far too valuable to throw away. I plan on collaborating with others in education in order to keep up with the ever changing world of technology. This class has really changed my outlook on the internet and Web 2.0!!!!

Thing 23

The above caption shows that the "23 Things" project is loosely based on the work done by someone else. This class has taught me the importance of giving credit to authors or creators of any type of work. There is so much on the internet that can be used under certain circumstances. We need to know what we can and cannot use. Creative Commons helps us figure that out.

Thing 22

Discovery Through a Scientific Lens: Turtle Report

I found this podcast in the Educational Podcast Directory. This is a podcast that focuses on science and nature. This would be an awesome podcast to subscribe to and share with students in a science class. This site is very easy to navigate and the podcasts are not too long. I think in the future, I will create a podcast of my own to help enhance my instruction. Great application!!

Thing 21

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

This was so easy and fun. I can't wait to try it with some of my own photos of friends and family. I am seriously thinking about paying for the added features of the site. Cool....very cool!!!

Thing 20 Youtube

I love Youtube!! There are so many wonderful videos to watch on just about any topic. I chose this video because it deals with assistive technology for children with special needs. My hope is to one day become a special education teacher and videos like this are a valuable resource to me.

AWESOME!!

Thing 19

I am now a member a TeacherPop!! This is the first time I have seen or heard of this site.....and it is awesome!! Its great to be able to collaborate with other preservice students as well as those already teaching. I can use Facebook for the same purpose, however TeacherPop is a one stop shop. You don't have to search for educators...they are all right there!! This will be a valuable resource to me in the years to come.

On a lighter side...I also collect sports memorabilia. I have found a couple social networking sites that deal with this hobby. I will most likely join up with one of these groups as well. However, right now I do not have the time for hobbies....lol

Visit TeacherPop

Thing 18 Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/profile.php?id=1379676427

Finally, an application that I am already familiar with! I am a big fan of Facebook, and have been for a couple years now. This is a great site that helps you keep in touch with friends and family all over the world. Facebook has helped me reconnect with friends that I have not seen since High School. I can see many educational benefits from the site as well. This will help me network with other special education teachers and share effective instructional methods. Our students deserve it!! The only thing I do not like about facebook is that anyone can write anything on your wall. You have to be really careful when adding friends to your social community. This is a very PUBLIC site.....however the benefits far outweigh the negatives. Thumbs up!!

Thing 17 Delicious

Delicious is an awesome bookmarking site. This site allows you to collaborate and share web links with others very easily. I can see many uses for this application in the classroom. I would make a shared reading list for the students, where we all could make recommendations for great books to read. This site is also a great way to share favorite web links with others. This is a great way to enhance learning for all students in this Learning 2.0 era!!

Thing 16

I chose to use Google Sidebar. Unlike a homepage, the sidebar is always there. You can keep track of the time, weather, news and my favorite....EBAY. I just stumbled across this application, however I would recommend this to anyone having to keep track of many things at once.

Online calenders and "to do" lists are great if you have an enormous amount of things to keep up with. I usually just make a list on a spreadsheet if I have too much to remember. Seems like a lot of work setting up the calender and lists.

Thing 15...wikis

I have never heard of Wikis before this class. I always wondered why they called it Wikipedia and why you shouldn't take everything for truth on that site. Well now I know....anyone can change or delete content!!!! That is crazy. Having said that, I do believe that wikis can be very beneficial to education. I think it would be an awesome way for students to collaborate and share information...all in one location. Its like the entire class having ONE blog. Awesome!!

I added a copy of my post about online image generators to the 23 things wiki. Check it out if you like APSU 23 Things Sandbox wiki

THING 14

I tried Gliffy and Bubbl.us. It seemed like you could accomplish the same things on both sites, however I found Bubble.us to be a little more complicated. Flowcharts are an awesome tool, especially when you are teaching visual learners. These sites make it very easy to incorporate flowcharts into your instruction. Teachers should always look for new ways to improve their students learning experience. Thumbs up!!

Thing 13: ZOHO

Ok...I know it has been a while since I have written in my blog, but I have been really, really busy....lol....no excuses!



I checked out this Zoho Writer site. At first, I thought that it was going to be just another cheesy Microsoft wannabee site. WOW....was I wrong or what?? This application is awesome. I played around with the ZOHO Writer and it was just as easy and Works, but has alot more features. I love how you can share the document with someone else and allow them access. They can add to the document and make changes in real time. Talk about collaboration!!