Learning 2.0

My first thought about social networking is that it is too overwhelming for me.  There is still the piece of me that has a fear of the unknown person on the other end; although I am not going out to meet anyone so I really feel safe.  I explored Classroom 2.0 and really liked what I read.  I skimmed through a few different topics and found them quite interesting.  I can see myself getting involved in an educational discussion particularly classroom ideas.

For example, I loved that one teacher of gifted students was asking for book suggestions.  I stumbled upon a discussion on keyboarding, an ongoing issue for most schools. A few people talk about using a blog to practice accuracy while others disagree.  I am on the disagreeing side of the fence because children revert back to “hunting and pecking” as soon as the typing program is closed or when the teacher moves to another student.  Practice and all adults, not just the technology teacher, buy into the keyboarding concepts and help support the program.

I ramble on because I really buy into this network!  What a great way to connect with educators.

Pageflakes is amazing!  I love all the possibilities that teachers at all levels can create.  I can see Pageflakes used as a place to put many of the web 2.0 tools, gadgets, and widgets we learned throughout this course.  I played with many of the features and created a PageFlake for my upcoming trip to Israel.  I loved putting the weather for Atlanta and Jerusalem and the time for both cities.  I will definitely go back and play more.

 I loved experimenting with Google Docs.  It is very user friendly and I think it is a great solution for the issues we have with students using our remote access/terminal server. 

Ideas for document sharing…

1. Classroom teachers use Google Docs for writing projects.
2. Administrators use Google Docs rather than attach documents for everyone’s input and try to collate all the information. Having one document in one place is awesome.
3. Forms that “dump” into a spreadsheet are a great way to collect data from faculty
4. Teachers check off when they do the end-of-year clean-up on a spreadsheet

I love this tool so much I imagine I could go on and on.

I spent a little time (I seriously mean little because I learned not to spend hours on any one thing…yea me!!) searching for anything to do with Epstein just to see what our students posted.  I found a few things one which was a graduate who did a TBS moment in history segment.  I also searched for How To and came up with so many videos that were of no interest to me. I finally chose good search words and came up with How to Master Gmail.  Very cool tips! I learned several new tips like keyboard strokes, managing multiple e-mail accounts with Gmail and using the advanced search settings. I tried keyboard strokes, but they didn’t work for me until I explored settings and found the box that must be checked on.  Guess what…they work.  Check it out. Just a little heads-up…even though I checked the filter video box, inappropriate videos still came up.  What is the definition of inappropriate?

My search for technology integration was successful.  Why We Need to Teach Technology in School and Education Today and Tomorrow are worth looking at to use as a professional development hook. They are both similar to other videos about preparing children for our global world and using the tools of today not staying with those of yesteryear. These are just two options that are well worth the time to preview and possibly use. Check my wiki to watch Education Today and Tomorrow.

I explored TeacherTube for awhile and I know there are outstanding videos on the site because I have watched them in the past.  Honestly at the moment I feel that I have a good feel for videos from YouTube and TeacherTube.  My timer just went off  and exploring any more will make me write an angry blog:-)

I had so much fun figuring out this podcast and it was extremely easy and user friendly.  I used my Skype account to record rather than a microphone which I have done before. The HTML code came up immediately so it was even easier to embed it into this blog.  I did listen to a colleague’s blog and sent her a podcast comment.  How cool is that!! 

Listen to my podcast!

This exploration of podcasting is an extension of an earlier Thing when I put a podcast into my RSS.  I like the idea of listening to the radio on my computer for tips, professional development talks, and lesson plans/ideas.  The commentators for the Smartboard and Online Safety I listened to were entertaining, but I only listened to part of it when I decided I needed to move on because I wasn’t getting what I thought I would.  I then listened to the One Minute How To which I really liked and put into my Google Reader. I found many practical, educational, and professional topics of interest. Finally, I listened to Grammar Girl’s Top Ten Grammar Myths Grammar Girl’s Top Ten Grammar Myths which was fun, informative and an outstanding podcast to use with students.

I explored Apple iPod Lessons where I found several ideas to share with teachers.  I particularly love the idea of using music to learn math facts.  Divide students in groups and have each group create a song or rap with the assigned fact family.  They can record final project on garage band or in audacity.  Students can upload it to the web site then download it at home.  What a fun way for students to practice and learn their math facts and technology is the tool to success!

I often find that the “old” lessons have a face lift and change with the times.  Years ago when teaching fifth grade I did a unit on oral history and ancestry.  The first time I did the lesson, the students recorded their interviews on a tape recorder.  The next year, I encouraged them to use a video camera if they had one which many students did have.  My final year in that grade doing the project, I required a video oral history.  When I read the Apple iPod lessons, one lesson is an Oral History lesson which uses an iPod or a voice recorder and family photos to create an iMovie.  Was I ahead of my time in 1994 or is it a new spin with a face lift on the same lesson?

Public goal setting and commenting is definitely part of the social network scene and I can see today’s young adults publicly posting their goals because cheering and coaching by others certainly helps one achieve those goals. Public goal setting isn’t something I can see myself becoming involved in doing.  High school students or older might benefit from public goal setting, but I can’t see this activity with younger students.

As I reflect on Thing 16, I can’t see myself setting goals in a public arena, following comments to me or making comments on others.  I am certainly open for new ideas, change and taking risks, but possibly in the future.

 I explored most parts of LibraryThing including signing up and adding books to my library. I skimmed through the various areas and didn’t spend a lot of time in any one area. I can see how another social area of Web 2.0 can become overwhelming. I am not sure how someone can keep up with all the new social opportunities on the web. I suppose we have to pick and choose!

I love to read, but on a personal level I can’t see myself using LibraryThing. I see it as a way to organize professional literature and children’s literature used in the curricula. I envision using LibraryThing, in particular the 50 Book Challenge, as part of a reading program. Depending on age, I can see it used as a class challenge or individual reading log with students.

I like the idea of social book marking because it allows me to save my favorites on the Internet giving me access anytime anywhere.  Searching by tags brings up sites that often tend to me more relevant to what I am looking for.  Since I love to share what I have, this gives me another avenue to put out my resources and give others an opportunity to use them. I played with bundles and spent time unsuccessfully trying to share my bookmarks with a colleague. I plan to play more because I am determined to figure it out! Once I mastered these tasks, I will attempt to import my favorites.  I may play with imports before I master sharing my bookmarks.

Check out my bookmarks on Delicious.

The K12 Online Conference is a very cool idea.  I like being able to listen to keynote speakers and other presenters on a particular topic. Staff development is one of my passions so I chose to go down that path on the K12 Online Conference.  I stumbled along the way struggling to open the audio or podcast files, but finally accessed Vinnie Vrotny’s Professional Learning Networks presentation. I listened to Vrotny, explored the social network, ning, and signed up for yet another site when I finally “got” what this presentation was about.  This turned out to be another blog of educators without a lot of deep discussions.  I did trip on Matthew Montagne’s Wiki which has many wonderful projects including handouts. Montagne is the Middle School Technology Coordinator at USM school and his wiki is well worth the time to explore.

On Harriet’s recommendation, I listened to Classroom 2.0 and Where do you live? by Clarence Fisher. I really like the way he sums up learning 2.0 by saying that education is a collective effort not an individual one.  Throughout his walk/talk, Fisher he talks about the collaboration and exchanging view points and ideas and talking to each other. As educators we must look at all the possibilites in the classroom and prepare our students to be good thinkers and teach what is important, not what the students need.  What is important is preparing our students to think critically in our global world.