Thing Twenty-Three

Take a few moments to reflect on your journey. You've covered a lot of material over the past ten weeks. What does it all mean? How has your thinking changed between Thing 1 and Thing 23? Has this program changed how you view the Internet or how view education in the digital world? What plans have you made for using these tools in and out of the classroom? How will you continue to learn about Web 2.0 tools? What are your big "take aways" from this experience?

When I first started this course I was moderately knowledgeable about technology.  But after completing this course, I realize that I was missing a basic piece of information.  I was using Facebook, GMail, google calendar, YouTube, and many other Internet tools.  But I never knew that I was part of something called Web 2.0.  Now I know that Web 2.0 includes technology that allows users to receive, respond to, and interact on the Internet.  It allows users to be connected and collaborative.  It allows users to share thoughts, information, pictures, videos, and social interactions.  In the past I was a consumer of information on the Internet.  Now I can be a consumer, producer, and collaborator. 

I used to believe that technology had a small place in early childhood, but that most of it was not useful to my classroom, my teaching, and the learning of my students.  Now I have a broader idea of how Web 2.0 could become part of my classroom.  In fact, it was already impacting my classroom before I understood what it was.  This year I have used the Internet to find resources for teaching.  I have researched learning topics, shown learning videos, interacted with learning websites, and created a website that helps showcase student learning.  In most cases my classroom has been an Internet  consumer.  But I can now see how my classroom could interact with these same tools and become a producer as well.

My plans for the future include using these web 2.0 tools more fully.  I plan to add a blog to the website that I already have.  I hope to make this an interactive forum so that I can give information to, and gain feedback from, classroom families.  I also hope to create blogs as a whole group or small group writing activity with my students.  I would like to become involved in an EPals project next year.  I hope to become more interactive with my colleagues by using either Dropbox or Google Docs and maybe beginning a wiki that will help us collect resources around a teaching and learning topic.

The big “take aways” from this experience are that Web 2.0 is about collaborating, connecting, and expanding our learning environments beyond our physical classrooms. As teachers, our minds should be open to learning and exploring the new possibilities that we have through technology tools.   

Thing Twenty-Two

In your blog post be sure to include the link to your wiki. Then discuss your feelings about using a wiki. How does a wiki differ from a blog? When is one more appropriate to use than the other?

My wiki can be found at https://heather155.wikispaces.com/.  It was fun to create a wiki for a personal hobby of mine, which is classic movies.  I could invite my other movie watching friends to add to my list of movies.  I would be interested in creating other wiki pages to support my other hobbies or areas of interest.  I would also be interested in creating a professional wiki where my colleagues could continually add resources and lesson plan ideas for a particular learning theme.  


A wiki is different from a blog in that it has multiple users who are all contributing ideas or more current information.  A blog usually has one author who is sharing his own ideas.  Other people can respond to the blogger's ideas, but can't change or edit the original blog.  A wiki is more appropriate for collaboration among several people.

Thing Twenty-One

Describe a wiki you found that inspires you to create one of your own. What hurdles might stand in the way of your using a wiki? What would it take to remove the hurdles? Is it worth the fight? 

I found the wiki for Arbor Heights Elementary School to be interesting.  The wiki was similar to a website with all of the expected pages for staff, classrooms, supply lists, and family learning.  Some of the classrooms had their own wiki pages (not sure if that is the correct label) that gave information about learning, events, and newsletters.  One of the wiki pages was a kindergarten classroom.  I'm not sure if I would create a wiki of my own.  I currently have a weebly website for my classroom that works really well for disseminating information to parents.  Because I wouldn't need to share editing privileges with anyone else on this website, establishing a wiki doesn't seem to be useful for me, but maybe I'm just not being imaginative enough about how I could use it.  I can see it being useful in collaborating with colleagues on projects, research, and lesson plans for learning units or themes.    

Thing Twenty

Include in your post the name of at least one podcast to which you subscribed. Describe your experience using the various search tools. Which do you prefer and why?

This was another fun technology exploration.  It was easy to get lost in the myriad amounts of information that can be found through podcasts.  I spent a lot of time in Itunes.  I already had an Itunes account and have used it to organize my music and listen to podcasts, but I had never actually subscribed to a podcast.  In the past I just went out to search for a podcast each time I wanted to listen to it.  Because of this assignment, I have gone back and subscribed to the podcasts I have always listened to, and also discovered several more in the process.  One podcast that I was excited to discover is "Reading Rockets."  This podcast is the result of a book called "Teaching Reading IS Rocket Science" by Louisa Moats.  The podcast explores different issues in teaching reading.  This is a strong interest of mine and a topic I am always trying to learn more about.  

While in Itunes I was able to search through categories and by keyword.  At the bottom of each podcast description there were other podcast recommendations based on subject interest.  This helped to direct my search in my areas of interest.  I also did a Google search on top teacher podcasts and was directed to several more interesting podcasts.

Thing Nineteen

Which podcasts did you find interesting? Identify one or two podcasts and describe how you would use them in your work. (Be sure to include links in your blog entry to the podcasts mentioned.)

I was interested in “The Whole Child” podcast: http://whatworks.wholechildeducation.org/podcast

I was also interested in the “Learning Matters” podcast:

http://learningmatters.tv/blog/podcasts/the-learning-matters-podcast-series/8297/

Each of these podcasts would enable me to stay current on educational issues.  The Whole Child podcast showcases educators and schools that are exemplary models of educating the whole child.  Their website states, “We know we have to cultivate lifelong learners who are thoughtful, creative, culturally competent, intellectually curious, and civically engaged.”  The Learning Matters podcast was created in order to “shine light on the successes-and setbacks-in our schools and districts, and report them clearly and fairly to the public.”  While listening to two of these podcasts, I was struck by the thoughtful and in-depth reporting of educational issues.  This was a welcome change to the brief, attention-grabbing, often inaccurate headlines that are put on the regular daily newscasts.

164 colourful insects

View more PowerPoint from mireille 30100

What did you like about the presentation you embedded? How might Slideshare be useful in the classroom? out of the classroom?

The presentation I chose to embed is called “164 Colorful Insects.”  I chose this presentation because I just started a classroom learning unit on insects.  I thought that I could use this presentation on my interactive white board in order to expose my students to a wider variety of insects.  

Slideshare could be useful in my classroom as a way to explore other classroom learning topics.  It could also be used as a way to summarize and showcase our classroom learning.  As I searched Slideshare, I came across one presentation that had been created by a Kindergarten classroom.  Outside of the classroom, Slideshare could be a useful way to learn more about a personal topic of interest, gain ideas about sharing information about a topic, and just for fun as a way to share in the common interests of other users.

Thing Seventeen

Give a review of the tool you explored - what worked, what didn't work, how might it be used in your personal or professional life? 

I explored a tool called “Dropbox” which can be found at dropbox.com.  By creating an account on Dropbox, users can “drop” documents and photos into folders that can be accessed from any workstation.  The documents can also be shared with other people who can then modify and edit.  The site also provides a single file option so that documents and photos can be shared with people who do not have a Dropbox account.  I was also able to install a free Dropbox app on my phone. 

When I first created my account, I was automatically given 18GB of storage space.  New users can earn more free space by completing a list of tasks such as taking a site tour, inviting friends to join, and uploading and sharing a document.  By completing most of these tasks, I was able to earn 256MB of extra storage space.  Users who need more space can upgrade by paying $9.99 per year.  Because I don’t have a clear understanding of megabytes or gigabytes, I’m not sure if I will need more space.

I have spent a short amount of time exploring this tool, and have been impressed so far.  For my own personal or professional use it seems like an easy way to access documents from other computer workstations as well as my mobile device.  It also appears to be an easy way to share and collaborate on documents.  I like the option that allows single document sharing for people who do not have a Dropbox account.  I also like that a document does not have to be converted from a Microsoft Word format, like it does in Google Docs.  The limitation appears to be the limited storage space, although for my uses it appears that I will have plenty of space on this site.  

Thing Sixteen

How might you use this tool in your personal and/or professional life? What issues come to mind about using this tool with students (ie, they need email addresses to log-in)?

I have heard about Google Docs, but have never used it before today.  My fifth grade daughter used it in school for a social studies presentation that she did with an assigned group.  She really enjoyed using it because she was able to work on it at home, as were the other students in her group.  It allowed them to collaborate outside of their classroom, which was an amazing thing to see.

I could have used Google Docs very recently in my personal life.  I am the team manager for my daughter’s soccer team.  One of my tasks is to create a phone tree and contact list for the team.  I created the document using Microsoft Word, printed it out, and took it to the first game so that parents could review it and make changes as necessary.  I can see how this process of review and editing could have been done more easily in Google Docs.  While playing around in Docs, I uploaded the soccer team phone tree from my computer.  The first time I uploaded it, allowing the file to be converted, I lost the formatting that I had created.  I uploaded it again, without allowing the conversion, and my document appeared without any loss in formatting.  Pretty slick! 

I think I could use this tool both professionally and personally whenever I want input on a document that I am creating.  The obvious issue with this technology is that participants must have a Google account to access the document.

Incidentally, my brother in law is a technology staff member at a school district in Monroe County.  He and I were discussing Google Docs and the practicality of using it, along with its limitations.  He introduced me to a website called dropbox.com.  According to him, documents can be “dropped” into this website and then accessed from any internet connected computer workstation.  I haven’t had time to explore it yet, so don’t know if there are collaboration capabilities on the site, but am curious to see the similarities to Google Docs.  

Thing Fifteen

On your blog, review and reflect on one collaborative project or opportunity that could align with part of your curriculum. Where might you incorporate one of the collaborative document tools for students to work together?

After exploring the multitude of online collaborative projects, I am most intrigued by “Epals.”  Epals seems to be a good fit for early childhood classrooms and appears to be a good starting point for teachers who are new to online collaboration. 

As I explored the Epal site, I found an area in which teachers can look for classrooms within a certain profile (such as age range or number of students), country, or type of project.  As I probed further, I was encouraged to find multiple early childhood classrooms from all areas of the globe who are participating in Epal projects.  I was also able to find several types of projects that fall under the theme of “People and Culture.”  One project helps children to explore, compare, and contrast different types of cultural festivals and traditions.  Another project allows children to explore their own similarities and differences with peers from other cultures.

These projects would align with the following Social Studies outcomes:

*recognize similarities and differences in people (gender, family, race,

culture, language).

*increase capacity to take another’s perspective.

*grow in understanding of and respect for differences among cultural

groups, as well as their contributions to society.

*begin to recognize that people celebrate events in a variety of ways.

These projects would also support the following Language Arts and Technology outcomes:

*understand that ideas can be written and then read by others.

*understand that printed materials have various forms and functions; e.g.,

signs, labels, notes, letters, types.

*begin to develop an understanding of purposes for writing

*understand that some people communicate in different languages and

other forms of English.

*begin to understand the value and enjoyment of being able to

communicate in more than one language or form of communication.

*talk, ask questions, solve problems, and share ideas with peers and

adults, when using computers and other technology tools. 

Thing Fourteen

Include your Delicious username in this blog post so that others can view the bookmarks that you have chosen to share. Then reflect on how you think social bookmarking can be used in your teaching. Does Delicious seem to be a tool that can enhance your productivity?

Share your thoughts about tagging. Is tagging a useful way to organize your digital resources and why? What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages? What is important to think about before assigning tags to bookmarks or other Internet content?

My Delicious username is hdh.  

Social bookmarking appeals to my intense need for organization.  I love to organize spaces, information, and objects.  In the past it has been difficult and frustrating to me when I have tried to keep the vast amount of internet information organized.  I am always searching the internet for teaching information, themes, websites, and lesson plans.  I work from school, at home, and at the library and have bookmarks at each workstation.  As I switch from one workstation to the next I have been unable to keep track of the websites that I have used.  Now, I can keep this information on the Delicious website and be able to access it anywhere I am working.  This will definitely enhance my productivity. 

For me, tagging is a difficult aspect of Delicious.  I will need to gain more information about effective tags so that I will be able to find and share my bookmarks in a convenient and effective way.  As I was bookmarking sites, it was helpful to me that Delicious suggested possible tags that I could use.  As I continue to use and explore Delicious, I think that I will become more proficient with tagging.  

Incidentally, Delicious reminds me of another social bookmarking site called Pinterest.  I have been on Pinterest for a short time, but find it fun and addictive.  Pinterest allows users to "pin" interesting pictures and images on virtual bulletin boards.  The user names the bulletin board, which I think is similar to naming a stack on Delicious.  Users can follow other people's bulletin boards and repin interesting images to their own boards.  Pinterest contains a wide variety of interests including education, recipes, hairstyles, redecorating, organizing, etc.  Pinterest has associated itself with Facebook and Twitter and allows users to find friends through both social networks.  Pinterest requires an invitation, which reinforces the social aspect of the community. 

The major difference between Delicious and Pinterest is that Pinterest only allows the use of images.  Unless a website has a particular image, it can't be pinned to a bulletin board.  Delicious allows users to keep track of website addresses, not just images.

Thing Thirteen

What applications appeal to you? Now that you know more about Twitter and Facebook, pay attention to where you hear references to them in the every day world. How do you think you might use these tools? 


Why do you think MySpace and other social networking sites are so popular with kids today? What safety tips would you share with your students who are talking about using social networks?  

I have been a long-time user of Facebook and have thoroughly enjoyed it. It has allowed me to stay in touch with family and reconnect with old friends. I do not have a Twitter account, but have been aware of Twitter for quite some time. I know that my school district uses Twitter to update community members on school information and events. I have thought about joining Twitter, but have not done so because Facebook already takes up a lot of my time. I just didn't feel like I could keep up with Twitter. It is quite amazing to see Facebook and Twitter logos on almost every commercial, advertisement, and product. It is hard to remember a time when these tools did not exist.

I think that social networking sites are popular with kids because it gives them the chance to connect with a greater number of their peers and gives them immediate gratification. Modern kids do not remember a world where people had to wait to talk to a friend or family member in person or on the phone. They are used to interacting on an immediate basis at any time. As my own daughter approaches the teen years, I know that she will become a member of this social networking world. It is a powerful, and scary, truth that she will have access to so many people and so much information. On the flip side of this, all of these people will also have access to her. I have already begun to emphasize with her the importance of not sharing her personal information with anyone. I'm also beginning to have conversations with her about how information, especially pictures, that are put on the internet are a permanent record that can't be controlled.

Thing Twelve

Exploring widgets was interesting and entertaining. There seems to be a widget for any topic. I was able to find many educational widgets that could support learners and their parents. There were quite a few fun widgets, which got me thinking…maybe I will need a classroom blog and a personal blog. My classroom blog could be the one that guides and supports learning. My personal blog could be the area where I could have more license to exercise a sense of humor and pursue my personal interests outside of education.

Reading Tip of the Day

Thing Eleven

What do you like / dislike about leaving comments? How did you feel when you received your first comment? Why do you think commenting is so important in online communities? What might this mean for students who share their writing online?

I enjoy leaving comments on blogs because it gives me a sense of connection to a larger group of people.  It also gives me a chance to leave positive comments when I really agree with the blogger.  It is an affirming experience for me because I get to hear from other educators who agree with my philosophy or help me to see things from a different perspective.  Sometimes it can be difficult to compose a comment because of the limits of printed text.  I find myself really analyzing my word choices and the tone that I am using.  I try to review my comments from the bloggers point of view.  It can be difficult to discern whether comments will be taken in the way that I have intended.  This process could be very powerful for students.  It is a “real world” way of publishing work and receiving feedback.  It could cast the work or assignment in a more meaningful light and increase the quality of the work that is presented by students.   

Thing Ten

This video is called "Mahna Mahna" from the Muppet Show.  I chose this video because...well...it just makes me smile.  It is just silly fun.  We all need a little silly fun in our teaching days.  I was also able to download it to my computer using "KeepVid."  It was very easy to do.  I am able to access YouTube at my school, so I wouldn't necessarily have to download video.  But I am glad that I have tried it and know how to do it.

Thing Nine

What do you like or dislike about YouTube? Did you find videos that would be useful for teaching and learning? Is YouTube restricted in your building?

I really enjoy YouTube!  I have been using YouTube for quite some time already, both for fun and  for my classroom.  YouTube has many videos that are useful for reinforcing or extending classroom learning.  My students especially enjoy “Chicka Chicka Boom Boom,” an alphabet song from “Have Fun Teaching,” and full episodes of “Sid the Science Kid.”  I have also used YouTube for fun.  I have shown my own children theme songs for my favorite childhood shows, original “Looney Tunes” shows, and “Schoolhouse Rocks.”  We have had a great deal of fun watching the video called “The Ten Funniest Babies.”  Last week I used it for more serious purposes.  I watched videos pertaining to the tornadoes that went through Dexter.  I live in Chelsea, which is ten minutes from Dexter, so I was very concerned for the inhabitants of the town.  I was able to see first hand the destruction that was caused by the tornado.  

YouTube is not restricted to teachers in my district, but I’m not sure if students can access it on their own.  I will be asking the technology supervisor about this when I see him next.

Thing Eight

In the same post in which you placed your creation, briefly describe your experience completing Thing 8. Which of these tools intrigues you and why? Was it easy, frustrating, time-consuming, fun? Share some of your ideas for using the images you can create.

Completing “Thing 8” was, in a word, fun!  This was definitely an area that easily applies to my young fives classroom.  “Spell with Flicker” supports our classroom learning objective of exploring and learning letters, especially in different fonts.  While playing with this tool I typed in the names of my students.  It was fun to see their names come up with different styles and fonts.  I know my students would enjoy seeing their names this way too.  I could also type in the alphabet letters that we are learning  and we could see the different ways that a letter could appear.  “Flickr Color Pickr” could easily reinforce our classroom learning and exploration of color.  “ImageGenerator.org” has endless possibilities.  I spent some time in the “captioner” tool that I found on this site.  I could have a lot of fun with my students and adding captions to pictures I have taken of them in the classroom.  Students could help me add thought bubbles that summarized their learning on a particular topic.  I could also tie the captioner into our current Dr. Seuss unit of study.  My students could help me add captions to the clip art of Dr. Seuss characters.  Students would be asked to think about what this character might say.  I am looking forward to continuing exploration in these areas.  

Thing Eight Photo

http://bighugelabs.com/captioner.php 

Thing Seven

Think of ways you may be able to use Flickr in the classroom or in your work and share your ideas. What issues might you face?

I could use Flickr to collect pictures and images that relate to the learning themes that we are doing in our classroom.  For instance, we are currently working on an author study of Dr. Seuss.  Each day we have read a book by Dr. Seuss.  Today I was able to save free Dr. Seuss clip art in my computer’s picture file and then upload it to Flickr.  Using these pictures I created a set called “Dr. Seuss” and then tagged each one with more specific detail.  These images could be used as a review, recall, and retell activity as we work through our author study.  It could also be played as a looping slideshow that students could view during free choice time.  I repeated this process with St. Patrick’s day clip art in order to show my students a shamrock and a leprechaun.  I also could use Flickr to organize and save the pictures I take of my students.  My photos would be in a safe place, be easily accessed, and could be placed in a private status and only be viewed by parents who have Flickr accounts.  There are two issues that I have encountered while using Flickr:  1. I ran into the limit for monthly Flickr downloads.  2.  It can be problematic to find images that can be freely used and shared. 

Thing Six

Create a post on your blog about one of the photos you downloaded. Why did you choose a particular photo? What is it about the photo that you found interesting? Be sure to include the image in your post. Use Blogger's photo upload feature to do this.

This photo is titled “Full View of Snow Covered Mountain” and was photographed by Ansel Adams.  It was taken in 1941 in Glacier National Park in Montana.  I chose this photo because I feel a sense of awe and wonder at the sight of mountains.  Mountains are beautiful, majestic, and at the same time, forbidding.  Although I would not have the desire or endurance to climb a mountain, I enjoy seeing them.  To me, mountains  represent beauty and strength.

Thing Five

Write a blog post that reflects your thoughts on Digital Citizenship. Who should be teaching this? What should students know and be able to do? What should teachers know and do? What should parents know and do? Be sure to include Thing 5 in the title of your post title.  

I find these questions to be very difficult to answer.  It is difficult because it is a new concept for me, and I am not confident in my ability to answer it completely.  My best understanding is that Digital Citizenship entails the appropriate, conscientious, and safe use of modern technology.  Digital Citizenship also includes the understanding that long term ramifications result from words, pictures, and interactions that happen online.  I believe that both teachers and parents should be teaching Digital Citizenship.  But again, we run into difficulty because many teachers and parents are unfamiliar with the modern technology that students are currently using.  So, although I can’t completely answer what parents and teachers should be able to know and do, I think that they must begin by familiarizing themselves with technology.  As parents and teachers do this, they will be able to teach about the dangers and pitfalls of technology.  Students have no problem learning how to use modern technology tools. But they do need to understand how to be respectful, courteous, and safe while online. 

Thing 5-Part B

Open a Citation Maker link above and enter the information about your chosen resource in order to create a citation. Copy and paste the citation into your personal 23Things blog.

Earth. 2012. NASA, Washington D.C.. Solar System Exploration. Web. 2 Mar. 2012. <http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/multimedia/display.cfm?IM_ID=9643>.

Thing Five-Part A

Select and watch at least one of the videos linked below (flash player required). Create a new posting for Thing 5 in your blog and write a review of the video. How does the video relate to one (or more) of the Nine Elements of Digital Citizenship? How could you use the video in your classroom?

I chose the “Internet Safety Carol” (http://got.im/UU) because it is most appropriate for elementary age children.  The carol, which is set to the tune of “The Holly and the Ivy,” is sung by a group of elementary students.  The words in this rendition of the carol cover several important internet safety rules.  Listeners are reminded to “stop and think” about checking anti-virus settings and turning on a firewall.  This relates to “Digital Security” in which internet users take responsibility for protecting their own equipment and information.  The carol goes on to address the use of social networks and blogs.  Listeners are cautioned to use a nickname to protect identity and to tell an adult if an online acquaintance tries to get their personal information or tries to make contact outside of the virtual world.  This relates to “Digital Health & Wellness” in which technology users are taught to protect their own personal information online.  The carol goes on to address polite behavior in chat rooms.  This relates to “Digital Etiquette.”  The carol concludes by reminding listeners to seek help from an adult whenever technology interactions becomes confusing or troubling.  The focus areas of this carol are especially appropriate when compared to the Pre-Kindergarten through Second grade Digital Citizenship outcomes.   

Thing Four

It's easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of blogs out there - how do you handle information overload and how do you think RSS might help with that?

 

I have spent a lot more time on “Thing Four” than I did on the other “Things” because I spent so much time exploring blogs.  The number of available blogs is immense.  I could spend hours on the exploration phase of this assignment.  I was having so much fun that I had to force myself to stop and answer this question before going on.  As with any new topic of learning, it does seem overwhelming.  I do think that over time as I continue to explore, subscribe, and read blogs, I will become more comfortable with them.  I’m sure that I will continually hone my blog lists and become more particular  about the new blogs to which I subscribe.  Google Reader will help me to gather, organize, and manage my blog lists.  I have also added these blogs to my dashboard and have downloaded an application on my phone so that I can read my blogs anytime.       

Thing Three

How might a blog support the work you do? How might you use a blog with students? How might they respond to a blog assignment? What concerns do you have about educational blogging?

I am an early elementary educator, and because of this have often felt that much of modern technology is beyond my learners, and therefore beyond me.  I have never considered myself to be "tech-savvy" or even "tech-interested."  I have always been open to learning about and using new technology, but never felt enabled to learn independently.  Also, I have never given much time to the business of technology exploration.  This course is forcing me to carve out this time.  I'm shocked to realize, that the time I'm spending is actually interesting and fun and I am learning a great deal. I am seeing that these topics could be appropriate for me and for my learners.  

I have always felt that teaching can be a very isolating profession.  Aside from professional development sessions, staff meetings, and a quick chat in the staff lounge, teachers are often left alone with students for large chunks of the day.  During my career I have felt a need to connect with other teachers, share ideas, and support each other.  As I have begun my exploration, I can see that educational blogs are an excellent way to create a community of teachers.  Blogs would be a way to support my work in that I would be part of a learning community of teachers who are "in the trenches" just like me every day.

As I begin to think about using blogs in an early elementary classroom, a few ideas come immediately to mind.  The first is the idea of connecting parents to the classroom and the learning that is taking place with their children.  Like the weekly newsletter, a blog could keep families informed of classroom and school information and events.  I can envision working with my students to create a weekly blog in which they are recalling what they have learned.  Parents are more likely to participate in classroom learning when the children are able to "show off" that learning, and blogs would be one way to do so.

I'm not sure how I would make a blog assignment for my young learners, but if I did, it would be with the family in mind.  During the school year I often make "family project assignments" that children are supposed to complete at home with the help of their families.  Perhaps there is a way to do this using blogs?  

I have several concerns and questions regarding educational blogging. As I have explored educational blogs on the Internet, I have been unable to find an example that is being used in an early childhood setting.  While I am able to find blogs created by early childhood educators, they are usually used to share lesson plans or to share thoughts about teaching young children.  Both of these types of blogs are useful, and often entertaining, but do not include a parent/child interaction component.  I will need to do a lot more exploration to see if something like this exists.  I'm also concerned about the families that I work with.  I am able to create an educational blog, introduce it and model its use to my students, and invite families to participate.  My concern is that many of the parents would be intimidated or unfamiliar with the use of such technology.  How could I make it more accessible for families?  

Maybe I am getting ahead of myself...one step at a time...on to "Thing Four."

Thing Two

I am participating in 23 Things because I would like to stay current with technology tools and teaching approaches.  In the past few years I have been increasingly perplexed by new technology tools and I have felt the learning gap slowly widening.  I don’t want to be a teaching professional who is scared of new technology, so I decided to take the plunge.  Let me just be clear here, technology is not my forte…not by a long shot…but I am going to persevere.   

While taking this class I hope to become familiar with technology tools and how they can be utilized in my “real world” classroom of young learners.  I am always looking for new ways to make teaching and learning more dynamic and meaningful.  I hope to use technology to help meet this goal.  I also hope to be able to offer technology and teaching information to my colleagues.

Writing on the Internet, in a place where anyone can read it, definitely causes me to think twice before I write.  I do differentiate the style of writing depending on the context.  For instance, I can be much more informal when writing posts on Facebook, which is a place for friends and family to share thoughts.  But I do feel that this class is a more formal setting, so I would like to sound a bit more professional.