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.