Summary

Wow.....this was not easy for me.  Let me begin by recommending that you make it clear to any potential participant that certain computer skills are necessary to be successful in this class.  Maybe an attachment containing instructions for exporting, cutting and pasting, adding links, finding certain codes, etc.

I loved Animoto, iGoogle, I plan to use a Google calendar, RSS feeds are a timesaver......because I do start wasting time browsing websites, etc.

The format of this program could be improved with links for tutorials at the onset of each "Thing."  I know some tutorial-type stuff was there.....maybe I am not proficient enough at retrieving it.

I have become aware of so much and have learned so much from this course, that I would definitely take another one like it in the future.  I know so much about Web 2.0 compared to 3 or 4 weeks ago.  

I will be using some of the Things I learned in the classroom.  I will revisit these things on the website and polish my skills before using them in the classroom.  I hope I can override them.

I will keep blogging and checking feeds to stay up to date with regard to new developments in 2.0.

Thank you very much.

Ronnie Camp

Thing #23--Creative Commons

"23 Things" is based on the Learning 2.0 program which is adapted from the 43 Things I (or You) might want to do this year and 43 Things. 43 Things is a social networking site where users establish accounts and then share lists of goals...

In the future, I will be sure to give credit to the author of any work or piece of work that I use on any tool of Web 2.0.

For one thing, this should be done out of simple respect for the person whose work you are using. We educators are made very well aware of all laws of copyrighting whether the work is written or in video form. This is something all teachers should be wary of no matter what their discipline.

Thing #22--Podcast

My Podcast

I checked out some podcasts.  Very different.  You know, we are a visually-centered culture as far as education goes.  When we teachers are observed by our administrators, we are encouraged to structure the lesson to appeal to visual learners.  

Well, podcasts ain't visual.  I don't mean to be mean or anything about podcasting....because some people are auditory learners.....but I can't imagine my students tuning into any podcast unless it was rap or laced with profanity and disgusting lyrics.  

I found myself drifting when I tuned into a podcast describing how microorganisms found in active volcanoes might have anti-cancer properties.  

Now this is neat......that there are so many podcasts on any given topic.  

The Educational Podcast Directory was easiest because it focused on educational topics.

I do not feel the inspiration to create a podcast....maybe the problem is that I just had so much fun with Animoto that podcasting seems to pale in comparison.  

With some of the other tools I've already played with, I do not have any real interest in subscribing in podcasts. 

Thing #21

Animoto was fun!

I like Animoto!

I chose pictures of Texas State Parks that my family and I have visited.  I really couldn't find the music that I wanted....but I got close.  

It seemed real easy to do.  Some of the images would not allow me to cut and paste.....I don't understand why......

A teacher could create some topic-specific images and attention-getting music.....what a fun way to start a lesson!

I would have fun letting students create by letting them choose from pre-approved images.

I wonder how hard it is to override on the district server for this one.

Thing #19---Beyond Myspace: Other Social Networks

I added the 23 Thingsters Badge.  I had trouble.  I could not find it.  I also could not get code to work.......I finally had to get someone who is more computer savvy than I to help.

I commented on Mrs. Toogood's page.  She was my middle school teacher.

Ning is like Facebook, but I like Ning because I'm only patched in with people who I share a common interest with.  I can join a Ning just for Science teachers....so I can see some application for this one!  

On Gather, I can click on health and get all kinds of articles such as the one on Vitamin D.  I don't know if I was able to get the link on here or not.

I am a member of Gather.

From what I played with, I really liked Ning.  Ning appealed to me because I can visit with people about specific topics such as camping, rv'ing, science, and other stuff.

I like how I could easily access  health-related articles on Gather.

Thing #20--You too can YouTube

I picked the release of Dylan the sea turtle from Jekyll Island, Georgia on June 30, 2008 as my video of choice.   This was easy because I knew what I wanted to search for.  This website is good for finding relevant snippets of videos (which is how administrators want us showing videos these days).  The problem is I believe this website is blocked on our district server.

You don't want to randomly search for stuff because there is plenty of inappropriate footage out there.  Because of this I don't plan to rely on YouTube for school purposes.

Regardless, I too can YouTube.  I feel so.........so.......YouToobey. 

Thing #18--Exploring Social Networking

My Facebook

I used my real name, but only an image to remain somewhat anonymous.  I was able to add a few teachers from my school.  

After seeing what some people post on facebook, I don't see why I as an educator need to interface with anyone that I know from school be it teacher or student.  I would not even want my own children to see this site.

Parents and teachers, in my opinion, need to be aware of what kind of stuff is being put out there on sites such as Facebook.

I definitely don't like the solicitation on other sites such as MySpace.

From what I could tell, Facebook is more organized and intimate, whereas MySpace seems too impersonal because you just get bombarded from advertisements (messages) and strangers you don't know............I can't think of anything else to say.

I just don't see why I need Facebook as a teacher.

It might be fun if I want to keep in touch with certain students who have moved on, but e-mail can do that for me.

Thing #17--Tagging and Social Bookmarking

Social bookmarking is a great way for a teacher like me to share lessons and fun labs and to benefit from the good ideas of other Science teachers as well.  I can't believe how easy it is to go to a social bookmarking site like Del.icio.us and type in a keyword like physics lessons and get more info than I could ever use.  

Once again, the tutorial helped me to see how useful a bookmarking site is.  I see plenty of potential for research assistance because so many people are adding information to these types of sites, all I have to do is enter keywords and pick and choose the boatload of information that comes up.

thing #16--Getting Organized With Web 2.0 Tools

For my start page, I chose Reg Mombassa.  I chose it because it has a desert kind of look to it and there is a certain kind of serenity I feel when I see a desert landscape....not to mention that I thought all of the other designs were weird and not to my liking.

Online calendars are going to be useful to me because I am constantly on a computer so it is no big deal to do my calendar business online.  

I chose iGoogle because I am somewhat familiar with Google and am comfortable with it.  I added National Geographic-Picture of the Day......because sometimes there is a neat science-related picture I will want to share with my students or colleagues.  I added a to do list because I sometimes have too many things going on to keep track of....so this gives me a reminder every time I log on to the Web.  I added Live Weather because I LOVE weather activity...our atmosphere rocks........and sometimes I may actually NEED to know what the weather is doing as opposed to just being interested in it.  

I noticed that the more tools I added , the longer it took to load the page, so I stopped adding tools at that point.

I chose "remember the milk" for my to-do list. It was a lot of work for just wanting to jot things down.  To me, there were too many steps to create this to do list.   

thing #15--What in the world is a Wiki?

Well, right off the bat, the online tutorial was great for me to understand what Wikis are all about.  I wish there was a tutorial for every "thing."  That guy does a great job.  I could write a science paper on any topic of interest to me and put it out there for others to critique and edit.  I just thought of putting a resume out there so someone with better skills than myself could improve the resume before I submitted it.

When I do science experiments I sometimes need the students to volunteer to bring supplies.........(candles, q-tips, vinegar, screwdrivers, boards, you name it).  We usually waste half a class period designating who is going to bring what.....and the confusion just escalates when someone forgets or brings the wrong item.  With a Wiki, those of us with internet access at home(and that number is growing all the time) could arrange the volunteering much more efficiently.

As we teachers organize field trips, a Wiki could help the 5 of us stay on the same page, especially when one considers how we sometimes don't get to meet enough due to ARDs and parent meeting, etc.  

Thing #14---Go with the Flow

I went to Mindmeister and created a concept map.  My Science coordinator has always emphasized how we need to be using concept maps and flowcharts in Science so the kids can make mental connections to the topic being studied.

I got frustrated with trying to increase the size of the concept map to the left.  As I play around with all of these tools, I get more and more proficient at utilizing all that is available to me.  My C-tech at school can show me how to change the size of the map.

Flowchart is easier to use because you go from one thing to the next in a very linear fashion as opposed to Mindmeister where there seem to be icons spread around making it more complicated to use.....especially for someone like me who is not a computer expert.  I must say I have learned quite a bit as I wrap up Thing# 14.

Thing #13--Web-based applications

The neat thing about Zoho Writer is that I can start a spreadsheet at home on my computer and easily access it from my school computer if I needed to work on it more.....or vice versa...and I don't have to use a flash drive......Hey!!!!  if I start making a test or a lab worksheet on Microsoft Word at school I can access it at home through Zoho Writer.  This could be really helpful to me since a lot of my stuff is usually a work in progress.

I am already so acquainted with Microsoft Word that I cannot think of any other practical uses at this time for Zoho Writer.  I have been playing around with it on and off over the past 2 or 3 days for only 10-15 minutes at a time, so maybe when I put some more playtime into Zoho, I will discover other uses.

Thing #12 Google Tools

I like Google Calendar.  It is really neat because I can access it any time and place as long as a computer is handy.  The calendar allows me to be more organized.  For example, I can create a personal calendar ( kids' dr. appts., etc.) and a school calendar(testing dates, project due dates, parent meetings, etc.).  There are times when I need to be able to see what all is going on.....this allows me to do just that.  No more big dusty calendars on my desk!

Oh, another thing, this was easy for me compared to some of the earlier "things".  I was able to do this without much trouble.

I love Google Alerts!  Very simple and straightforward.  As forgetful as I can be at times, I can benefit from this.......off the top of my head I can think of the date an ARD input form is due, an ARD meeting, testing dates, my anniversary, Mom's birthday, etc..... 

Thing #11---Adding Feeds

At first this was confusing to me......I thought I has done this on Thing #10.....maybe I don't fully understand this part .

Google Blog search and Blogline search tool were simplest to use because they were very organized and user-friendly ( that's what I like)..........you could click on one thing and have several options.  

I could never get anything going with Feedster.......I kept getting the internet explorer error....

The number of feeds is overwhelming.  Some appealed to me (such as science and RV'ing) while others were on a more personal level (dieting and losing weight).....I don't think I care to get personal on the Internet.

The tools available to me were more than sufficient.....I only tapped the surface on those.

Thing # 10-Set up an RSS reader and add feeds

RSS saves me time because I'm not wasting time browsing websites.

I can use word of the day, subscribe to other educational websites that are content-specific to me, and on a personal level, have some campground and RV sites keep me up to date on any offers that may interest me.

Educators can be alerted to topics of interest without having to search for them.

Thing#9--Image Generators

My computer only wanted to go onto Image Chef.  As it turns out, it was fantastic!!!  There were so many images! All one has to do is enter the site, pick out a background, type the phrase, and its all there! I found it easier to copy the embedded code into my profile, rather than using the blogger link.

I thought that I could use the Image Chef to spice up my powerpoints, notes home to parents, create and print my own classroom posters...... the possibilities are infinite!!!

Thing #8--Mashups

http://www.quasimondo.com/clockr.php

Mashups are amazing! I could create some really cool slide shows, share photos of relevant interest( such as those taken at the Sea Turtle Hatchery in Galveston), maybe even create a
print off of a photo-based seating chart so the sub could put a face with a name.

Mosaic Maker is great for making a neat collection of personal/family photos. I need to get a
digital camera so I can upload my own photos and then create mosaics of my family's camping
trips and such.

I could use Mosaic Maker to make some neat collages of my classes busy with lab work in the
science classroom and place them on our bulletin board.

I had some trouble uploading things from the mashups to my blogsite. I am used to the
computer in my classroom, but the district was blocking everything and override was not
helping me. So I am using my home computer and am not used to using it in this way. I will continue to practice. Once the schoolyear begins my c- tech (Coach Solis) can help me with my ideas!

In Delivr I could make little science puzzles. That would be fun.

I did paste the URL for the neat mashup called Clockr. It is a neat, digital time display where
they apparently took photos of numbers anywhere they could find numbers. Then they took these photos and put them into a digital clock format. You can click a number and the photo changes. It is fun to play with.

Thing #7--Flickr

Flickr was awesome! I was able to easily access images of some of my favorite campgrounds, as well as campgrounds I want to visit!!! South Llano River State Park (in the middle of the Hill Country) is one such place I want to camp at. I accessed more photos of that state park than I had time to look at. I could access images of sea turtles or anything else my students and I are studying.

I had lots of trouble uploading an image from Flickr to my blog.
If you click on the blank box to the left, a nice photo of a sea turtle
taken by Rajue should pop up.

By the way, there are 7 different varieties of sea turtles according to the Sea Turtle Hatchery in Galveston. Did you know all 7 varieties are threatened or endangered?

Thing #6--2.0 Tools

I browsed Web 2.0 Awards nominees and discovered Furl. This site allows the user to store all useful and frequently used websites for quick and easy retrieval.

I like this tool because I can put all of my frequently used websites in one place and never have to worry about forgetting any newly discovered websites that I feel can be of use.

There are several science-related websites that I use during the school year. Now I can put them all on my Furl account and save time accessing them.

Thing #5--Web 2.0

Before I started this course, the term Web 2.0 did not mean anything in particular to me.

However, after reading a few articles about 2.0, I am now aware of the vastness of this technical

aspect of the World Wide Web. It seems daunting....I don't even know where to start. It's

almost like, if I start learning about one tool of Web 2.0, what other tools am I missing out on?

I know this is the wrong way to approach this. But, gee whiz........as an educator, how much of

this do I even need? Funny thing is........I can probably answer that very question using one of

the tools of Web 2.0, the blog! One of my thoughts is to throw a blog post out there to other

educators out there and pose the question: What are 3 or 4 tools from Web 2.0 that are a must

for every educator? There! I am practicing what I preached on an earlier post......use questions

to invite comments from others.

School 2.0, to me, means an educational climate where students are encouraged to engage in

a dynamic, 2-way, read/write medium using the World Wide Web. This breaks us out of the old

static system of 1-way, teacher centered learning. 2.0 is very much open-ended......which

I believe will bring about more creativity from students of every grade level.

Schools of the future will need to align their state mandated objectives with Web 2.0

to prepare students for a big leap from the classroom to the workplace, wherever that

may be.

Thing #4--Commenting------a work in progress

Commenting to blogs helps to create a sense of community and interaction.

-The person whose blog has been commented to feels like his/her blog is important and meaningful enough that someone else would want to comment.

-The interaction between people who are exploring the same topic should be mutually beneficial most of the time.

-The anonymity of blogging allows people to have the security of being honest and forthright, which should enrich the sense of interaction.

I read from Problogger. I was interested to learn that only about 1 out of 100 readers will respond to a blog. 90 % are only passive readers as they browse the blogosphere.
2 points that resonated with me were how we should invite comments in our blogs. So how do you feel about that one? The other point was the importance of asking questions to elicit reader comments. So how can you, as a blogger, structure questions to elicit more interaction from your readers?

I also read from Ten Commandments. A couple of pointers I remember were to contribute comments that have value instead of, "wow", or "me too"! and to use emoticons to impart a happy disposition.

Other fellow bloggers that I learned form:

1. "23 Things" wrote of how useful blogging can be to the classroom. For example, communication, updating assignments, homework postings, etc.

2. "Cricket's corner" made the point of how a blog can allow students to interface with each otherwhile working on a project or studying for a test.

3. "Loving Summer" has a beautifully designed blog site. She made mention of Google Calendar, which I look forward to learning about.

4. "mimiswordsofwisdom" has an interesting blog about igoogle. I plan to look into that one. Also her mention of automatic updates. Cool. I have read from more than one blogger about not putting personal info up on your blog site. Good advice.

5. "technocricket"-- I agree with her on how commenting creates a sense of community and builds rapport with other bloggers. I chose technocricket in case I need technical advice.

I have gone to Blogosphere. Then I logged onto BlogScope and entered the keywords, commercial lawn equipment. I did so because I have a very small lawncare gig to make a few extra bucks. I gained instant access to dozens of blogs related to lawncare equipment for sell, technical "how to" advice on topics from blade sharpening to the best motor oils, brand name comparisons, etc. Awesome!

I then visited PajamasMedia.com, from the Blogosphere site. I scrolled through several blog articles on current events. I stopped and clicked on the blog,"Yes Virginia, There Is A Special Ed Bounty" by Greg Forster and Jay Greene. Interesting article. I then scrolled through and read several comments left by other readers. I chose to remain one of the 99% and just read and not respond.

Thing#3--Using Blogs

Some ways that I think I could use blogs in the classroom are:

-Interface with other Science teachers about labs or lessons. Share ideas and get ideas.

-Keep a journal where I monitor and adjust my lessons for future reference.

-Have an online science topic-based reading or book club.

-With my over-achieving students who actually go home and do their work, we could have a
current events in Science blog where we discuss any topic of importance in the area of Science---and that could be current events or anything else.....for example, a 10 year old, 150 lb. sea
turtle was released last week off of the coast of Georgia. This could be a source of interest and information for my students.

-For the students who have a computer at home, we could have a question and answer blog.



As far as communicating with parents, e-mail takes care of that.

Thing #2---Avatars and high blood pressure

Creating the Avatar was simple. I noticed there are more options for dressing your Avatar than you'll care to spend time looking at.

I chose my posting name and name of my blog by using names that would be easy for me to remember.

Creating my blog was easy. I think it was easy because the blogger program is laid out in such a way that a computer-challenged person can create the blog with little or no fuss at all. I was impressed and encouraged.

Creating the Avatar was easy, as I've already said. The difficult part came when it was time to export the Avatar to my blog. I copied the instructions word for word but had trouble. A
wonderful person that used to be my school librarian helped me through the thick of it. A big thank you goes out to her!!!!!!!!!!

My Avatar reflects my personality because I love teaching Science and my Avatar is happily teaching Science in front of a class. That particular image relates to me.....so I went with it.

Thing #1--Starting Over.......

My first blog did not contain the info it was supposed to......so I am starting from scratch.

The hardest lifelong learning habit for me is #2........accepting responsibility in my own learning.
The reason is that I am so busy with work, my side jobs, and most importantly taking care of my
3 children and giving them plenty of attention that there is little time left over for me to take
classes. That is why I jumped at the opportunity to take this online course....I can work on it
while the kids are asleep.

The easiest lifelong learning habit for me is #71/2.........Play and be curious and read. I can do this one with my kids........subsequently spending time with them and learning at the same time.

By playing with Web 2.0 tools, I hope to learn more about how I can use computer technology
to enhance classroom instruction.......especially since the students have access to laptop computers in the classroom.