Thing 13: Zoho Writer

This is a pretty cool app!!! I really like the fact that I can save my stuff online!!! I also like that it saves a version of everything that you write, so that you can go back to the version before you saved it. This could come in handy! Its also is neat that you can view it and copy it as HTML code for times when you need that! (There also is a spreadsheet app called Zoho sheet.)
Its also neat that you can publish it, making it public! It seems to have everything you would need for word processing and more! I compared it to Google Docs. Google docs is more basic and doesn't have all the extras that Zoho writer has.

Thing 12: Googling deeper

Google Alerts: I really liked this section: "Google search basics: More search help." I never knew you could get so specific with the search paremeters as these help you to. excluding a certain search result by simply adding "-" sign in will be very helpful. I also liked this way best to search for news feeds. And I like that what I find I can have it sent to my "feed" instead of my email!

Google Calendar seems great, but my life isn't busy enough at this point to need. But I'm sure I could use it later on. When I am a teacher and will have mots of things to schedule, I can imagine this will be very helpful!!! Also the class could use it for a class calendar, for upcoming projects, days til school vacation, and other calendar updates.

Google Notebook seemed really cool! I always want to copy and paste something somewhere! Sometimes I open up a word document just for that purpose alone. But apparently it is no longer in use, and new users can not join!!!!!!!! I was pretty excited to use it, but I guess I won't be able to... But I will try to see what I can use of it! Im sure I'll be needing to copy and paste something that I want to save real soon!!! Ok, Ive tried it with a recipe, and it seems to be working perfectly fine!!! The notice about it no longer being in action only came up when I tried to download the extra search add-on, so perhaps Ill just keep using it without trying that again. But if all else fails I will have to export to Google Docs and use that instead. So far I like the set up and its potential!!! I like that you can add sections to separate each new paste-age and that you can create notebooks for different topics. I really like it!!!! This could be great to use with the class while doing research to illustrate how extensive research is done or when certain found tidbits of information need to be kept in mind.

iGoogle Home Page: I already had an iGoogle home page. But I have just added some new "stuff" to it. There are an endless number of gadgets!!!

I really like that all of the google stuff recognizes my password across the board and that I stay signed in from app to app!!! Google is insanely huge! Even my phone is Google-run!

Thing 11: Blogging gets even more serious!!!

Perfect!, This is just what I was wanting to find after the last assignment!!! I didn't realize that there was way to search for blogs alone! GoogleBlogs was very easy for me to use, especially once I got the hang of it. I did not like the others as much.

I have been successful in finding a few blogs that I like, such as this one: http://kindergartenteacherclaire.wordpress.com/ .

I will keep looking as topics of interest come to mind!

Thing 10: RSS-ing

I have started a Google Reader page, and it seems like it will be really helpful!!! But I think my husband will like it more! He has more than several pages that he like to go to every day. I will use mine for news site and one or two other sites that I visit daily. It could be used in the classroom for new games, activities, or other educational content that comes out. Also to find news that would be appropriate, weather, or forms of relaxational intelligent entertainment. Also as I browse more blogs, I hope to find more websites to use in the classroom.

Thing 9: Generation: Image type

With Image Generation, I was able to create all of these fun signs in no time at "ImageChef"! That website was pretty complex with all the options from animation to picture frames. I like taking their pictures and adding words, like these 8 below. All you do is choose a template that inspires a few words and type them in. Its as simple as that! It offers many ways to share the images, if the way you had in mind is not available you can copy the link html in one click and paste it where you want your pict to show up! This is such a great way to make a point about anything!!! I could spend hours creating signs with this app!!! Signs for the classroom, library, greeting cards, facebook page, or just about things that you will continue to privately wish the world would catch on to!!! I suppose you COULD make them "public" by adding them to a blog or other app!!!!




http://www.imagechef.com/ic/product.jsp

Thing 8: MashUps

My Trail Board
Originally uploaded by FricknFlickr

My attempt at MashUps was another inspiring experience!!! There are so many Mashup apps to choose from, and an endless number of creative uses for them!!! I can only think of entertaining or inspiring uses for photos created with such apps. They would be a fun way to add tidbits of inspiration, reminders or ideas in the classroom. As I use this more for my personal interest, I'm sure more ideas for classroom uses will come along with it!
Photos like this are also fun for sharing with the "public" who sees my flickr account.

My broadway sign (the one on the right side)
Originally uploaded by FricknFlickr

http://bighugelabs.com/billboard.php

Thing 7: Flickr-in'!

The first Almost Red!
Originally uploaded by FricknFlickr

Frickn FLickr is GREAT! Who knew!

Well, I fell in love with flickr! As far as this love affair goes, for now, I will use it for my personal enjoyment, which of course involves sharing with friends and family. But as the love affair continues, and flickr and I continue to be good to each other, I can see it coming into my classroom with me! It would be a great addition to show-and-tell when something can't be brought into the classroom!!! This is the first "photo-hosting service" that I have used. (Actually I guess that title included facebook and myspace, so I suppose its the third.) But the first that is used solely for photo-hosting. I believe it is even easier to use for photo uploading than facebook! (Myspace I no longer use, and can't remember much about, so I cant speak to that.)
I do feel a little weird about hosting my photos for just anyone to look as, but the ones I have up now are fine for being listed as public. Any pictures of people or specifics, I will post as "for friends and family," etc. I am excited to share more photos with friends and family. But only one person in my email address books has a flickr account, so if I could just get more people on the band wagon, it'd be a lot more exciting.

Using flickr was very easy!!! I uploaded from my camera's memory card and from my phone direclty. Uploading was very fast, and multiple pictures can be uploaded at once. Personalizing and finding contacts was also very easy and intuitive! Surprisingly, it was a very pleasant introduction to my new love, all in all.

Thing 6: Web 2.0 Award Reviews

I started by checking out Ziprealty. Because we have been wanting to buy a new house and have been looking at real estate websites lately. But I had no luck with that because they only feature houses for sale in cities that they have listed. .......
So then I looked at Zillow, and I was surprised to find that I had used their search before while browsing, and have spent a lot of time on it, but did not remember its name. Zillow.com offers features that other real estate website do not have. But the one thing I do not like about it is that a lot of the listings have nothing posted in the blank next to "lot size:" and that is particularly important for our search because we are looking for a little bit more land. If it does have the lot size, it is in sq ft most of the time, which is not easy for me to imagine. And I think a lot of times it was posted incorrectly, because there were some lots into the several millions of sq ft in neighborhoods where you could see the closeness of the next house in the pictures, and an acre is 43,560 sq ft. So the fact that I couldn't go by lot size was a big downfall.
But some of the features are really nice. I like how after it has pulled up your search results, it shows a map with all the houses on it. And it allows you to bring up another search by clicking on other areas of the map. Also the picture of the house in the list of available properties gets bigger when you hover over it. Which makes "judging by the cover" browsing very easy. If other pictures were taken, they also appear on the list as well and show up larger when hovered over. There are many options you can choose from when entering your search parameters, more than most other websites. Such as also adding nearby towns or school district to the search. And then it continues to make your search easier by offering buttons that allow you to save a house, get email alerts on it, or find similiar ones to it.
I have found it to be a great house-shopping website that offers more than others in all aspects. They offer general mortgage information, advice on an array of related topics, and local directories and info.
And there's more! Check out Dueling Digs under the "more" tab. Its fun to rate top rooms in house that they have listed all over the country! Its great to check out amazing kitchens, bathroom, and yards & garden!!! Go there, you'll see!!!
It isnt likely that this specific app will be used in the classroom. But it is very useful in my daily life. There are however many apps in the top 100 that can be used in the classroom.

Thing 5: Web 2.0/ School 2.0

"The Web has replaced libraries, classrooms, bookstores, yellow pages, telephones, even paper. And yet, it is increasingly apparent that this is just the tip of an iceberg that promises to broaden and expand as we move into the new century." I thought this was a great quote for this article at http://www.techlearning.com/article/7232 . Its so true! So much has been replaced by the capabilities of the internet!!! In my less than 30 year lifetime, so much has changed! I feel like a grandma when I think about all that has changed because I imagine that I need to talk about how different things are now than how they used to be!
To me School 2.0 is the use of these technologies. Its creating presentations that the class will enjoy, having a classroom blog so that parents and students can interact with the teacher and each other about the daily activities, its research being easier and faster, its writing one letter to the parents and being able to auto-individualize it, its 'gradebook-ing' made easy!!! Its the idea that everything can and will be made simpler by the electronic tools of the internet.
I think humans have a constant conflict within them that is: simple vs easy. We want things to be simple and to stay the same, but then at the same time we want things to be faster and easier and we are continually excited about new things. Web 2.0 and School 2.0 are results of the desire for things to be easier and new. It is our job as educators to help our students to be familiar with technology that they will be expected to use in their daily lives.

Thing 4: Commenting "on assignment" turns into "out of interest and enjoyment""

Thing 4:

I really ended up enjoying commenting on my classmates' blogs!!! I am glad this assignment forced it upon us, because I can tend to not post my opinions, but now that I have done it enough to break that, I really appreciate it! It is great to gather that sense of community and interaction!!! its nice to share positive opinions with others as well as constructive criticism! I also seeing other peoples ideas for and about things! As I blog more, I can see myself suggesting new things to people or helping to solve problems. Because most of these technology tools are new to me, I haven't had the answers to issues that people have mentioned in their reviews, but as I become more famailiar with the aps, and I blog on subjects that I am already familiar with, I will have more to add to my posts.

I have found that it seems that bloggers often feel as if they are going on "as normal" as you can feel that what they are saying or how they are saying it is "ordinary" for themselves -- as in you can really sense the personality in their descriptions or ideas, and getting a comment about their ideas gives their idea depth because to someone else that idea may not seem so "ordinary" or "of the normal" at all. And by reading a comment about it, makes it seem more, well, extraordinary and well, sometimes like even a better idea than you imagined.
Its also nice to bounce ideas off of people just to see what their reaction would be, because its no secret that people wonder if their ideas, sometimes, would sound as good to someone else.

I commented on the blogs of Amanda Bailey: Thing 9, Ashton Hanks: Thing 6, Sarah Klodt: Thing 6, Margaret Brewer: Thing 7 and Stephanie Pierce: Thing 3 from my class. I also commented on the blogs of Melinda Robinson: Things 6 and 9, and Amy Eubanks: Thing 13. I pretty much randomly selected these people, there was only one that I know. I commented on their posts because I had something positive to say or agreed with their opinions. Mostly I thanked them for their reviews of things.

Although I felt a bit awkward at first and a little creeper-like, I do feel less awkward about commenting on blogs now. Blogs again prove to be a great way to share info and interact with others!! And now I see why Bart was in detention for not leaving a comment!

Thing 3: Registering Blog

Registering my blog with Dr. Wall was also pleasantly seamless.

Using a blog can be very useful, as a journal or for an interactive activity with the class. It would be a great place for students to ask questions and help each other about homework assignments and such. It can also be used to post extra photos or information to share with the class. HAaving them share reactions with each other is a great way to build a sense of community amongst them, which I believe is very important.
It would also be a good way to share with other teachers, whether it be asking questions and helping each other or just sharing experiences.
Blogs are a great way to share things with anyone with access to the internet.

Thing 1: Lifelong Learning

After watching the tutorial on 7 1/2 Habits of Lifelong learners ( http://www.plcmc.org/public/learning/player.html ), I realize that each of those discussed habits are very important and each a big deal of its own. I believe that constant learning is what keeps a persons from becoming stagnant and is one of the more important aspect of life. Habit one, "Determining a specific goal before beginning," is easy for me. As a matter of fact it is in itself what prompts me to begin most projects at all. I may change the way I go about obtaining the goal after I begin, but keeping the goal in mind keeps me going. It is very natural for me when I want to accomplish something. Habit 2, "Accepting responsibility for your own learning," is a habit that I have had to bring back to naturalization. It had been diminished in my first 13 years of school because it seems that teachers were always telling us exactly how to do something, too much so. This time around, I have accepted that it is my own responsibility to discover how I'm going to learn. Habit 3, "View problems as challenges," remind me of Habit 1. When a problem occurs it is very natural for me to think, "Ok, how can this be resolved or fixed?" So, to me, problems are challenges -- or more something that shouldn't be so should be fixed. Habit 4, "Having confidence in yourself as a competent, effective learner. The people in my life such as my husband, parents and friends renew this in me whenever I need it. Such renewal helps my self-confidence thus reviving my competence so that I can concentrate on what I need to accomplish. Habit 5, "Creating your own toolbox," is pretty easy for me, but needs to be expanded. In this age of "the internet becoming our toolbox" it has become a habit of mine to only consider the internet as a resource. I need to push myself to use books more often. Habit 6, "Using technology to your advantage" is not very natural to me-- at least seeking new technology is not. I am very excited to be in this class just for that reason! Habit 7, "Teach/mentor others" is very natural for me. I am a natural teacher. I hate it when someone, and even I, do not understand something. So I like to help people learn in any way I can. Habit 7 1/2, "Play" is natural for me at times that it is appropriate. THe reminder is nice, becasue it is easy to let things get too serious!


To be continued...

Thing 2: My first blog

I have just created my first blog. It was very easy to do, and free! I had assumed that creating a blog, or any type of your own website, was complicated and expensive. It was quite the opposite, now I understand why I always hear about people's blogs. Creating an account was just as easy as creating any other account, such as email or Amazon! Coming up with a name and the web address was the hardest part for me. But I finally picked a name that is simple. I picked a template, although there weren't any that I really liked alot, that I felt fits my personality. But since then, the website has added new templates. So I found one that I like pretty well. Adding a post was very easy. Creating an avatar was fun. There are lots of choices. It is the first one I have ever created. I have created my avatar to represent what I look like because thats what i htink an avatar should do. Navigating the website is also very easy. All in all it has been a pleasant experience.


It should continue to be interesting!