I didn't realize you could do so many things with Google! They can send you e-mail updates about topics that are important to you. You can create a calendar with Google. I created a customizable home page with Google. When I was creating it, I was asked about things that were important to me, such as music and sports. I said that I was interested in music, comedy, art, and games. When my home page was created, there were all sorts of links and information about the areas I'm interested in! There were links for games, comic strips, information about concerts in my area, and even an artist of the day. There is also a news feed that could be useful for keeping up with current events.
Another tool Google has is a translator. You can use the translator to translate from one language to another. There are over 50 languages you can choose from! You can also listen to a voice saying the translation. This could be very useful for learning how to talk in a different language.
http://www.google.com/ig
http://translate.google.com/#en|fr|Hello.%20Where%20is%20the%20bathroom%3F
Monday, October 4, 2010
Thing #11
One search tool that I like is Topix.net. It's not used for blogging, but it includes all kinds of news information. You can search for any kind of topic that you want to read articles about. There's even a "top stories" section and a section on local news. None of the search tools were hard to use. However, when I tried to get on Syndic8.com, it said "Syndic8 is offline-- database backup in process." Therefore, I wasn't able to search that site. I found several interesting and useful feeds while I was searching these sites. When I put "school library learning 2.0" in the Google Blog Search, several blogs came up about the 23 Things program. Technorati.com is also a useful site to search for blogs. On the site, the top blogs of the week are listed. Also, you can search for any topic that you want to read about in a blog.
Thing #10
I like RSS because it allows you to subscribe to different websites and news feeds and puts them all in one place. Because of this, you don't have to check these websites all the time. All you have to do is subscribe to the website and the updates all go to one site.
I could use this in my personal life by adding websites of interests to me. These websites may include sports websites or websites with cooking recipes that I want to try out. I could also subscribe to websites that supply me with information about my schooling.
Teachers can utilize this information in many ways. They can subscribe to websites that keep them updated about breaking education news. These sites can also keep teachers updated about statistics, such as how students are doing in school percentage-wise.
I could use this in my personal life by adding websites of interests to me. These websites may include sports websites or websites with cooking recipes that I want to try out. I could also subscribe to websites that supply me with information about my schooling.
Teachers can utilize this information in many ways. They can subscribe to websites that keep them updated about breaking education news. These sites can also keep teachers updated about statistics, such as how students are doing in school percentage-wise.
Thing #9
An image generator that I found that I liked is ImageChef.com. This website allowed me to create a mosaic with any words or graphics that I wanted. I chose to create a smiley face using the word "Smile!" I was also able to create a photo frame with a picture of my choice. I picked the beach photo frame with a picture of a couple of jellyfish that I took a picture of at the aquarium last semester.
Personally, I could use this website to create images and photos in frames to share with friends and family. I could make a "Get Well Soon" mosaic to send to a friend that is sick. There is also a generator on the website to make jerseys with your name on it. In the classroom, I could use this website to teach my students about image generators so they'll know what they are and how to use them to their advantage.
http://www.imagechef.com/
Thing #8
There are several applications that involve flickr and other websites. In one application I came across, people can upload photos from flickr and turn those photos into jigsaw puzzles. I used this application to create a jigsaw puzzle of one of the photos I uploaded to flickr. I could use this to create jigsaw puzzles to do in my spare time or to give to somebody as a gift. Another application that I found that was interesting is Mappr. This takes photos that people have taken of places around the world and puts them on a map. I could use this in my classroom to show people pictures around the world that have been taken by people. I think that sharing photos online is a great way to show people different things and places that you have seen.
Thing #7
Above are some photos that I uploaded to flickr.com. Creating an account and uploading photos on flickr was surprisingly easy. The site is easy to navigate. When people upload photos, they can tag the photo so that people can easily find them. For example, my photo at the top is of the sun setting in California. Therefore, I tagged my photo as California and sun setting. Now when someone searches for California or sun setting pictures, my photo will be one of the ones that shows up. I can use my photos in personal ways. For example, I can create albums of family gatherings and share them with my family. I can also use other photos to put in powerpoints for classes. The only other site that I've used for uploading photos is Facebook.com. There people can upload photos to share with friends and family. They can also adjust privacy settings so that either everyone can see the photos, or just family and friends can see the photos. I'm not really concerned with having my photos in a public place. If I didn't want people to see them, I'd adjust my privacy settings to allow only the people I want to see them.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Thing #6
The Web 2.0 site that I explored was Flickr. This site is used for uploading photos and videos for everyone around the world to look at and share. I found several interesting things at this site. First of all, there is a map of the world. On the map, different places are tagged with pictures of those places that users have uploaded. Users can also create photo albums about whatever topic they want to create a photo album about. For example, one person created a photo album called "Me and my Um-ber-rel-la." It was all pictures of different people with different umbrellas. The site could be very useful for assignments. With copyright laws, it can be hard to find a picture on the internet that you can use. With flickr, people could use the pictures in a powerpoint for a class.
http://www.flickr.com/
http://www.flickr.com/
Thing #5
Web 2.0 is internet websites that are interactive, including social networking sites, video sharing sites, and blogging sites. In one article about Web 2.0, the author mentions that it is for everyday people. That means that you don't have to be an expert on technology to be able to use these websites. They should be user-friendly and encourage everybody to participate. Teachers are now using this technology to teach students. For example, teachers are creating class blogs and having their students participate.
For me, School 2.0 means a whole new learning experience. On top of using textbooks, students can use the internet to find any information they want to find. They can go to interactive sites to learn about the subjects taught at school and play games that go hand-in-hand with what they're learning.
For me, School 2.0 means a whole new learning experience. On top of using textbooks, students can use the internet to find any information they want to find. They can go to interactive sites to learn about the subjects taught at school and play games that go hand-in-hand with what they're learning.
Thing #4
There are many reasons why it is important to comment on blogs. It encourages writer and reader interaction. The reader is able to give their input on what the blogger is saying. They can also give positive feedback to encourage the blogger. Bloggers can then respond to the reader and give their thanks for the reader's comment. A sense of community is made because different readers can comment on a post and talk amongst themselves about the topic. The blogger can also join in the conversations.
After reading about the importance of commenting, there were a couple of points that I found to be interesting. One point I read about was ways to get people to comment on your posts. People are more likely to comment on your posts if you invite them to comment, or if you ask questions in your post. Also, if you comment on reader's comments, they are more likely to respond to future posts. Another point I found interesting was the importance of being open-minded and listening to your readers. It's important for readers to feel like their input is valued. If they don't feel like the blogger is considering what they have to say, they're not going to continue to comment on posts.
The people from my class that I chose to comment on their blogs are Alexandra Lee, Michelle Carpenter, Cheryl Morgan, Asante Pugh, and Heather Goodman. The people from other classes that I chose to comment on their blogs are Elena Blair and Kawana Atkins. I chose their blogs because I saw that they had little to no followers, and I wanted their posts to be read by at least one person. I made comments to encourage the bloggers.
After reading about the importance of commenting, there were a couple of points that I found to be interesting. One point I read about was ways to get people to comment on your posts. People are more likely to comment on your posts if you invite them to comment, or if you ask questions in your post. Also, if you comment on reader's comments, they are more likely to respond to future posts. Another point I found interesting was the importance of being open-minded and listening to your readers. It's important for readers to feel like their input is valued. If they don't feel like the blogger is considering what they have to say, they're not going to continue to comment on posts.
The people from my class that I chose to comment on their blogs are Alexandra Lee, Michelle Carpenter, Cheryl Morgan, Asante Pugh, and Heather Goodman. The people from other classes that I chose to comment on their blogs are Elena Blair and Kawana Atkins. I chose their blogs because I saw that they had little to no followers, and I wanted their posts to be read by at least one person. I made comments to encourage the bloggers.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Thing #3
Blogging can be important for me when I become a teacher. I can use it as a tool to reflect on my teaching and share my experiences to help other teachers. I can post about tools and methods that worked in the classroom, and what didn't work in the classroom. Also, I can tell about games and activities that can be used to teach students.
I can also create a class blog in order to share information with students and parents. I can use the blog to post links that are related to material being covered in class. Also, I can post outstanding writing assignments from students to give pointers to the class on writing.
I can also teach my students how to create a blog for the class. The students can use their blog to write about their ideas and thoughts about class assignments. They can use the blog to write about current events. Also, they can post their opinions about my teaching methods in the classroom to help me adjust to the students' learning styles.
I can also create a class blog in order to share information with students and parents. I can use the blog to post links that are related to material being covered in class. Also, I can post outstanding writing assignments from students to give pointers to the class on writing.
I can also teach my students how to create a blog for the class. The students can use their blog to write about their ideas and thoughts about class assignments. They can use the blog to write about current events. Also, they can post their opinions about my teaching methods in the classroom to help me adjust to the students' learning styles.
Thing #2
My posting name is the first initial of my first name followed by my last name. I decided on "HBrown and Web 2.0" as my blog name because this blog is about all the things I'm learning about by using Web 2.0 tools. The blog was easy to create because Blogger is easy to use. Also, it was easy to create an avatar and put the avatar on my blog because the 23 things guidelines told me exactly how to do it.
My avatar reflects my personality because she is holding an ipod and listening to music. Music is very important to me. I've been in band since the 8th grade, and I was even a music major when I started college. I tried to make my avatar look as much as me as possible because I'm happy just being me. I don't have to pretend to be somebody else.
My avatar reflects my personality because she is holding an ipod and listening to music. Music is very important to me. I've been in band since the 8th grade, and I was even a music major when I started college. I tried to make my avatar look as much as me as possible because I'm happy just being me. I don't have to pretend to be somebody else.
Thing #1
Out of the 7 1/2 habits of successful lifelong learners, the easiest habit for me is viewing problems as challenges. This time last year, this habit probably would have been the hardest for me. I was going through a lot of problems, and I didn't think things were going to end well. However, I took those experiences and used them to become more independent and to learn more about myself. Now whenever I face a problem, I treat it as something that I need to learn from.
The habit that is hardest for me is accepting responsibility for my own learning. I tend to be shy and not speak up in class or ask questions. I also have a habit of not attempting to learn about things unless I'm required to learn about them for a class. However, I am trying to change that about myself. Recently, I was required to do step aerobics in my health class. I realized that it was fun, and I decided to learn more about it. So now I'm going to start going to step aerobics classes.
I'm excited about learning by using the Web 2.0 tools. I hope to learn about different strategies for teaching, as well as learning on my own behalf so I can be a lifelong learner.
Setting up this blog was pretty easy. Blogger helped me to register and create my blog step-by-step. It was fun selecting a template for my blog that showed my personality.
The habit that is hardest for me is accepting responsibility for my own learning. I tend to be shy and not speak up in class or ask questions. I also have a habit of not attempting to learn about things unless I'm required to learn about them for a class. However, I am trying to change that about myself. Recently, I was required to do step aerobics in my health class. I realized that it was fun, and I decided to learn more about it. So now I'm going to start going to step aerobics classes.
I'm excited about learning by using the Web 2.0 tools. I hope to learn about different strategies for teaching, as well as learning on my own behalf so I can be a lifelong learner.
Setting up this blog was pretty easy. Blogger helped me to register and create my blog step-by-step. It was fun selecting a template for my blog that showed my personality.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)