You know, it's never really the end, I don't think. There are only new beginnings. In any case, I have just completed a journey here with you readers (however many of you there may be!) And thus far, most of the posting has been geared towards you. For once, here's a bit about something that's a bit of a tool, too. (Me.)
I loved being able to embark upon creative endeavors, such as the image generators, and the Animotor videos. I also loved being able to customize my blog and avatar (funnily enough, considering how cheesy it is). Additionally, I simply loved being able to write. I fancy myself a bit of a writer, but have failed to do it for quite a while, so this was refreshing. Thank you, readers, for giving me a reason to do so.
This program has reminded me that, even when you think you know all about something, there is still so much to discover. I have realized fully that the web is a tool that will never stop expanding, so long as it exists. I have discovered a plethora of new tools to add to my own toolbox, as well as all of yours, along this journey! We sure are going to be a handy dandy bunch, now, if I don't say so myself!
As far as the format I followed to create this blog, I'm not sure how I would improve it. Some entries could use more focus, I believe. I found that there was so much information I just did not know what to do with all of it, at times.
Regarding myself as a future educator, what I have learned is sure to crop up somewhere in my mind during my teaching career, even if I were to resolve today to try to forget it all, now that my course is over. I have discovered so many useful websites and abilities of my own, as a result of this project. I honestly did not think I would discover so many--but alas!
I will utilize all of the tools I have discussed to keep myself updated on the ever-changing nature of technology. I will check blogs, rifle through databases, type away into search engines, explore tags all day. I will do whatever it takes not to fall behind the trend and risk becoming any less technology-literate.
Readers, thank you for accompanying me on this journey. I hope you find that you, too, have grown from this experience. Howabout, if you think you have, comment about it? I'd love to hear your thoughts, back!
Anyhow, until next time:
It has been a pleasure,
- toolboxjackson
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
A Thing: The 23rd One. (Credit.)
As we all find out increasingly often, as we get older, it is of extreme importance to acknowledge those who we take ideas from, and borrow material from. They at least deserve this from us. (Credit.)
For example, on 23 Things for Teachers (the guideline for this blog), it clearly states in this introductory sort of page that "*Note: This project is loosely based upon the website 43Things (which allows you to set and track personal goals) and the Stephen Abram article titled 43 Things I (or You) might want to do this year(Information Outlook - Feb 2006). " This demonstrates the proper way to give credit where credit is due. It is in a basic, easy-to-access place, and is clearly stated.
Creative Commons licensing is not something that I think as many individuals are aware of as Copyright, itself. For this reason, I urge you readers (if anybody's even out there) to inspect www.creativecommons.org, and learn how you can utilize more resources than you may have thought, so long as you give a bit of credit!
Now that I know about Creative Commons licensing, I plan to search for the Creative Commons-indicative icon that tells me I can use the work in certain instances, if I credit the original author. This widely increases the amount of uncopyrighted material available to me, as a future educator. You should let it increase your availability, too! This tool will surprise you in effectivity. Don't neglect to give it its chance to shine! Add it to your box!
For example, on 23 Things for Teachers (the guideline for this blog), it clearly states in this introductory sort of page that "*Note: This project is loosely based upon the website 43Things (which allows you to set and track personal goals) and the Stephen Abram article titled 43 Things I (or You) might want to do this year(Information Outlook - Feb 2006). " This demonstrates the proper way to give credit where credit is due. It is in a basic, easy-to-access place, and is clearly stated.
Creative Commons licensing is not something that I think as many individuals are aware of as Copyright, itself. For this reason, I urge you readers (if anybody's even out there) to inspect www.creativecommons.org, and learn how you can utilize more resources than you may have thought, so long as you give a bit of credit!
Now that I know about Creative Commons licensing, I plan to search for the Creative Commons-indicative icon that tells me I can use the work in certain instances, if I credit the original author. This widely increases the amount of uncopyrighted material available to me, as a future educator. You should let it increase your availability, too! This tool will surprise you in effectivity. Don't neglect to give it its chance to shine! Add it to your box!
Monday, December 3, 2012
A Thing: The 22nd One. (Binders.)
We all know that being able to save things in an organized way is important in the world of education. The tricky part is deciding how to organize the things you want to save. How do you do it? Where do you put them? What if you lose them? There's a cool tool that can answer all of these questions, that you might think you're familiar with! (Binders.)
We've all been using binders since elementary school, but never quite like this. LiveBinders is a website that allows you to create online "binders" which can be used to save links, which you can view the pages of from your binder, itself! If you're confused about what I'm talking about, just look at this binder on theatre education I created, myself: http://www.livebinders.com/play/play?id=700957.
See? I actually made three binders, titled "Education Binder: Theatre Links", "Neato Education Tools", and "Miscellaneous". This allows me to have a narrow, specific level; a broad specific level; and a broad broad level, if that makes a bit of sense. These binders could prove to be just as useful as physical binders, if an educator gave the proper assignment. Perhaps an educator could teach a lesson on organization of not only physical resources, but immaterial internet resources. The students could compile websites relative to the subject matter of the class, and create binders and shelve using these links. The students could then share with others! Binders are just as important an internet tool as a "real life" one.
We've all been using binders since elementary school, but never quite like this. LiveBinders is a website that allows you to create online "binders" which can be used to save links, which you can view the pages of from your binder, itself! If you're confused about what I'm talking about, just look at this binder on theatre education I created, myself: http://www.livebinders.com/play/play?id=700957.
See? I actually made three binders, titled "Education Binder: Theatre Links", "Neato Education Tools", and "Miscellaneous". This allows me to have a narrow, specific level; a broad specific level; and a broad broad level, if that makes a bit of sense. These binders could prove to be just as useful as physical binders, if an educator gave the proper assignment. Perhaps an educator could teach a lesson on organization of not only physical resources, but immaterial internet resources. The students could compile websites relative to the subject matter of the class, and create binders and shelve using these links. The students could then share with others! Binders are just as important an internet tool as a "real life" one.
Sunday, December 2, 2012
A Thing: The 21st One. (Animato)
A good tool to have is always an alternative. Alternatives provide you with interesting new ways to do what can often feel like the same old thing. For example, in our last post, we looked at YouTube. In this post, we will be looking at an alternative video hosting site that offers some shiny new features that set it apart from it's buddy. (Animato.)
I created the video, My Current Life, In a Nutshell., using Animato, and I must say, I was expecting it to be much harder than it was. A lot of the work is already done for you, such as creating the slideshow the pictures go into, and uploading usable music files to accompany the video. Therefore, the process is a lot more user-friendly than one might think. I uploaded some photos of mine from my Instagram account, picked a pre-made slideshow template and a pre-uploaded song, and viola! I had created my own slideshow in less than ten minutes!
I would highly recommend this tool for teachers who get involved with the students in personal ways, who may want to create end-of-the-year slideshows. I can also see potential in Animato as being a useful tool for students to utilize when creating projects! The possibilities are not endless, with Animato--but they're close enough!
I created the video, My Current Life, In a Nutshell., using Animato, and I must say, I was expecting it to be much harder than it was. A lot of the work is already done for you, such as creating the slideshow the pictures go into, and uploading usable music files to accompany the video. Therefore, the process is a lot more user-friendly than one might think. I uploaded some photos of mine from my Instagram account, picked a pre-made slideshow template and a pre-uploaded song, and viola! I had created my own slideshow in less than ten minutes!
I would highly recommend this tool for teachers who get involved with the students in personal ways, who may want to create end-of-the-year slideshows. I can also see potential in Animato as being a useful tool for students to utilize when creating projects! The possibilities are not endless, with Animato--but they're close enough!
Saturday, December 1, 2012
A Thing: The 20th. (YouTube.)
I'm going to start this entry off on a nostalgic note, by sharing with you, one of the first education tools I ever used.
That's right, folks. A School House Rock jingle about the Preamble to the Constitution of the United States of America. I learned this song when I was about nine years old, when I had to recite the Preamble from memory in front of my fourth grade class. It proved to be an excellent tool, after all, seeing as I remembered the whole thing then, and still cannot seem to get the song out of my head, today. However, the point of this post is not to bring you School House Rock jingles. It is to bring you what brought you the School House Rock jingle. (YouTube.)
YouTube is close to being the most commonly-used websites in the world. It is a hub for video hosting, sharing, and searching, and a personal favorite site of mine. I think that videos are an extremely useful, and borderline essential teaching tool, nowadays. I always look forward to days when we watch videos in classes of mine, and I look forward even more to days when we get to make videos. YouTube is quite user-friendly and offers help and support, if it is still not friendly enough. I think that my school's library might do well to imitate YouTube's intuitive style and attractive layout.
Think about ways you could implement YouTube in your classroom, and as soon as you get the chance, (so long as your school does not have "parental control" sort of blockage which prevents you) do it! This could be just what your classroom needs to spice up the curriculum with a little multi-medial zest.
YouTube is close to being the most commonly-used websites in the world. It is a hub for video hosting, sharing, and searching, and a personal favorite site of mine. I think that videos are an extremely useful, and borderline essential teaching tool, nowadays. I always look forward to days when we watch videos in classes of mine, and I look forward even more to days when we get to make videos. YouTube is quite user-friendly and offers help and support, if it is still not friendly enough. I think that my school's library might do well to imitate YouTube's intuitive style and attractive layout.
Think about ways you could implement YouTube in your classroom, and as soon as you get the chance, (so long as your school does not have "parental control" sort of blockage which prevents you) do it! This could be just what your classroom needs to spice up the curriculum with a little multi-medial zest.
Friday, November 30, 2012
A Thing: The 19th One. (More.)
In our last post, we explored some of the world's most currently popular social networking tools, but today, we are going to delve even further into the social networking, to find what no man has ever found before. (More.)
Alright, so maybe someone has found other social networking sites before. Just look at Xanga or Myspace. Those existed once, didn't they? And they were the height of popularity, weren't they? Until the social networking tools of today came along, that's right. However, there is still always use in looking for new social networking tools. One component that is definitely worth considering is the popularity of the site, though. The more popular a social networking site, the more it will benefit you, because the more popular it is, the more connections you can potentially have, because the more popular, the more users there will be. For this reason of popularity, I decided to explore Pinterest. It's all the hype amongst soccer moms and crafty college girls, isn't it? So why not look into it?
All jokes aside, Pinterest actually has a lot of potential as a tool for teachers everywhere. I am a member of a blog site called Tumblr, and mainly what I use it for is a source of inspiration. Pinterest acts as just this for a larger portion of its users, and educators could utilize it in this same way. Pinterest is appealing, due to its vast breeding ground of craftiness and creativity. It's like a treasure trove of ideas galore! This could surely act as a resource for educators. Pinterest uses a tagging sysetem, so all one would have to do is search the tags for whatever he/she is interested in finding.
Although Pinterest does not initially seem like it would be a very professional resource, as an educator, I could see myself searching for everything from projects my students could do to classroom decorating ideas on Pinterest. It would be a great way to initiate some creative sparks, which are always a good thing to be able to conjur up, when trying to spice things up in a classroom environment! The more tools, the merrier!
Thursday, November 29, 2012
A Thing: The 18th One. (Networking.)
As a human being, we naturally require connections with other human beings, and as our world moves more and more towards the realm of the virtual and the technological, our connections must tag along, thusly. This means that there is one thing of ours, that is the utmost importance, that must tag along especially closely. (Networking.)
Without networking, we would know very few people--even no one, arguably. It is crucial for educators to be able to establish social connections, just as it is crucial for any other member of society. Therefore, it is also crucial for educators to familiarize themselves with the new-fangled technological tool, social networking.
While I tend to believe that social networking tools don't really have a place in the classroom (they tend to just act as distractions), networking certainly does. It is just as important for students to make connections as it is for teachers. So, while it may not be appropriate for a teachers and students to make online social networking connections, online social networking tools could prove as being very useful for student-to-student relationships, and teacher-to-teacher relationships. Websites such as Facebook act partially as contact books, which, of course, is useful. However, Facebook, and other sites like Twitter can strengthen bonds among peers and colleagues, as they also act as a means of sharing small thoughts and life events. This personalizes the social connection between "friends" and "followers".
I have a Facebook, myself, which can be found at http://www.facebook.com/magjacks. I have had an overall good experience with Facebook, since I created it. However, I have found that it is moreso a distraction than anything else, a lot of the time. I also think it may heigthen my awareness of others' approval of me. For this reason, I feel that a certain maturity is required to use websites like Facebook. However, I think that having social networking connections is expected, nowadays, and that this is actually a mostly beneficial bandwagon to jump on.
Without networking, we would know very few people--even no one, arguably. It is crucial for educators to be able to establish social connections, just as it is crucial for any other member of society. Therefore, it is also crucial for educators to familiarize themselves with the new-fangled technological tool, social networking.
While I tend to believe that social networking tools don't really have a place in the classroom (they tend to just act as distractions), networking certainly does. It is just as important for students to make connections as it is for teachers. So, while it may not be appropriate for a teachers and students to make online social networking connections, online social networking tools could prove as being very useful for student-to-student relationships, and teacher-to-teacher relationships. Websites such as Facebook act partially as contact books, which, of course, is useful. However, Facebook, and other sites like Twitter can strengthen bonds among peers and colleagues, as they also act as a means of sharing small thoughts and life events. This personalizes the social connection between "friends" and "followers".
I have a Facebook, myself, which can be found at http://www.facebook.com/magjacks. I have had an overall good experience with Facebook, since I created it. However, I have found that it is moreso a distraction than anything else, a lot of the time. I also think it may heigthen my awareness of others' approval of me. For this reason, I feel that a certain maturity is required to use websites like Facebook. However, I think that having social networking connections is expected, nowadays, and that this is actually a mostly beneficial bandwagon to jump on.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
A Thing: The 17th One. (Delicious.)
Among all of these tools we keep discussing is the tool of remembering. Remembering can be hard for us, especially when it comes to the web, and namely websites. How are we supposed to remember complex URLs if we want to access a certain page again, or if we want to share it with someone else? Some of these link locations would be nearly impossible to recall. Is there no tool that can help us remember these links? (Delicious.)
Who are we kidding? This is Web 2.0 we're talking about, here. There's this magic little thing called bookmarking, which makes remembering those web locations you wish to access over and over again incredibly easy both to relocate, yourself, and to share with others. Today, we will look at the website, Delicious.com, and discuss how it can serve us as educators.
Delicious allows you to create an archive of links, to save them for later; tag the links, so that others can find the links you've posted; and add your commentary to them, to tell others and remind yourself what the links are for. Likewise, you can search tags to find other users' posts, and you can view their commentary by clicking on the number of "saves" each link has. We can take advantage of this site by both posting and browsing, to both give and take from the Delicious world!
This tool as a great benefit to educators who are interested in utilizing technology to its fullest potential, for one can continue to expand the list of links, by searching on their own, and searching through others' findings both, to make the expansion twice as fast. This allows educators to compile resources in no time!
Did I mention that this is a great place to create an actual "toolbox"?
Who are we kidding? This is Web 2.0 we're talking about, here. There's this magic little thing called bookmarking, which makes remembering those web locations you wish to access over and over again incredibly easy both to relocate, yourself, and to share with others. Today, we will look at the website, Delicious.com, and discuss how it can serve us as educators.
Delicious allows you to create an archive of links, to save them for later; tag the links, so that others can find the links you've posted; and add your commentary to them, to tell others and remind yourself what the links are for. Likewise, you can search tags to find other users' posts, and you can view their commentary by clicking on the number of "saves" each link has. We can take advantage of this site by both posting and browsing, to both give and take from the Delicious world!
This tool as a great benefit to educators who are interested in utilizing technology to its fullest potential, for one can continue to expand the list of links, by searching on their own, and searching through others' findings both, to make the expansion twice as fast. This allows educators to compile resources in no time!
Did I mention that this is a great place to create an actual "toolbox"?
A Thing: The 16th One. (Productivity.)
Remember a while back when we talked about tools that you can add to your tools to make your tools power tools? Yeah, well this tool is more like a tool that you can add to your tool to power your tool. (Productivity.)
There are a variety of tools available online that can be used to augment your productivity and jumpstart you on the road to getting your work done. One of the most useful tools among these tools is the homepage. This is like the equivalent to sitting down at a neatly-organized, work-conducive desk. Homepages can be used to collect and sort useful, often-visited links, calendars, email inboxes, information-update gadgets, and any other number of tools that you may want to customize your page with.
For example, I created a homepage for myself using iGoogle, and customized myself a "desktop" suited to my needs, which I found most likely to increase my online productivity. I included a weather gadget, an email inbox display, a date and time display, and a to-do list gadget. I had to delete many of the pre-loaded news and cultural update tickers, because I found it more effective to have a cleaner, less cluttered workspace, than to have one packed with information I did not absolutely need.
I think that I will keep the homepage. It acts as a good source of reminders, with the to-do list and calendar gadgets in it. I like being constantly reminded of things, and I am a huge proponent of making lists and datebooks. I feel that I could be far more organized, if I made this my online headquarters, seeing as I'm on the web so much.
Try creating your own homepage! See what your results are! If you have a good homepage experience, comment about it! Or if you have a bad one, for some reason, I'd love to hear your war stories, too. Let's see if we can make productivity a tool that's more widely used in this short-sighted, distractible society.
There are a variety of tools available online that can be used to augment your productivity and jumpstart you on the road to getting your work done. One of the most useful tools among these tools is the homepage. This is like the equivalent to sitting down at a neatly-organized, work-conducive desk. Homepages can be used to collect and sort useful, often-visited links, calendars, email inboxes, information-update gadgets, and any other number of tools that you may want to customize your page with.
For example, I created a homepage for myself using iGoogle, and customized myself a "desktop" suited to my needs, which I found most likely to increase my online productivity. I included a weather gadget, an email inbox display, a date and time display, and a to-do list gadget. I had to delete many of the pre-loaded news and cultural update tickers, because I found it more effective to have a cleaner, less cluttered workspace, than to have one packed with information I did not absolutely need.
I think that I will keep the homepage. It acts as a good source of reminders, with the to-do list and calendar gadgets in it. I like being constantly reminded of things, and I am a huge proponent of making lists and datebooks. I feel that I could be far more organized, if I made this my online headquarters, seeing as I'm on the web so much.
Try creating your own homepage! See what your results are! If you have a good homepage experience, comment about it! Or if you have a bad one, for some reason, I'd love to hear your war stories, too. Let's see if we can make productivity a tool that's more widely used in this short-sighted, distractible society.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
A Thing: The 15th One. (Wikis.)
In your web-escapades, have you ever wished there was a place where you could share information with other internet users, in a big melting pot of editable-if-you-have-an-acount knowledge? If so, you're in luck, because there is a tool out there for you! (Wikis.)
Wikis are websites that are used as these information melting pots. These sites are used to gather and organize knowledge from as many sources as there are that which to contribute! And not only can you make original posts, but you can edit the posts of others! Wikis are all about collaboration!
However, in a recent experience with a Wiki, pbworks.com, I was completely dissuaded from an attempt at editing an article. First, I could not find the incredibly elusive "Sign Up" button. After several minutes of searching high and low for a way to create an account, I was finally successful. However, after that, the option to edit the article was working improperly, and in spite of multiple attempts to make the edit, I was unsuccessful. (An annoying empty white bubble kept popping up, with nothing useful in it whatsoever.)
However, this was simply a bad experience of mine. You may have wonderful experiences with Wikis, if only you try this tool out! Add it to your belt. You know you want to.
Wikis are websites that are used as these information melting pots. These sites are used to gather and organize knowledge from as many sources as there are that which to contribute! And not only can you make original posts, but you can edit the posts of others! Wikis are all about collaboration!
However, in a recent experience with a Wiki, pbworks.com, I was completely dissuaded from an attempt at editing an article. First, I could not find the incredibly elusive "Sign Up" button. After several minutes of searching high and low for a way to create an account, I was finally successful. However, after that, the option to edit the article was working improperly, and in spite of multiple attempts to make the edit, I was unsuccessful. (An annoying empty white bubble kept popping up, with nothing useful in it whatsoever.)
However, this was simply a bad experience of mine. You may have wonderful experiences with Wikis, if only you try this tool out! Add it to your belt. You know you want to.
Monday, November 26, 2012
A Thing: The 14th One. (Charts.)
As an educator, your mind is a crucial tool, and the thoughts inside of it are even more important. But what good are your thoughts if you can't make sense of them? Fortunately, there are tools out there that can help you do just that: unboggle the contents of your brain. (Charts.)
Visual representation is a tool that is useful, regardless of the context, it seems. Graphs, photos, videos, anything. All of it works towards the same goal: enhancing your understanding of a concept. Charts work towards that very same goal, as do the specific kinds of charts we will now discuss: flowcharts and mind maps.
These may seem like synonyms, at first glance. However, there are integral differences between these two tools. Flow charts are used, to put it very basically, to establish relationships between different concepts. Mind maps are used to establish relationships between concepts and their subconcepts.
Some tools that can be used for these purposes are Gliffy (which creates flowcharts), and Bubbl.us (which creates mind maps). I prefer Gliffy over other flowchart creators, because it does not require a membership, and I prefer Bubbl.us over other mindmapping sites, because it has a very intuitive layout that makes your mapping easy!
Feel free to explore other sites, though, such as Flowchart.com, (obviously for flowcharts), or Mindmeister (less obviously, for mind maps). Whatever floats your toolbox boat!
Visual representation is a tool that is useful, regardless of the context, it seems. Graphs, photos, videos, anything. All of it works towards the same goal: enhancing your understanding of a concept. Charts work towards that very same goal, as do the specific kinds of charts we will now discuss: flowcharts and mind maps.
These may seem like synonyms, at first glance. However, there are integral differences between these two tools. Flow charts are used, to put it very basically, to establish relationships between different concepts. Mind maps are used to establish relationships between concepts and their subconcepts.
Some tools that can be used for these purposes are Gliffy (which creates flowcharts), and Bubbl.us (which creates mind maps). I prefer Gliffy over other flowchart creators, because it does not require a membership, and I prefer Bubbl.us over other mindmapping sites, because it has a very intuitive layout that makes your mapping easy!
Feel free to explore other sites, though, such as Flowchart.com, (obviously for flowcharts), or Mindmeister (less obviously, for mind maps). Whatever floats your toolbox boat!
Sunday, November 25, 2012
A Thing: The 13th One. (Docs.)
Of all of the tools one may encounter as an educator, the word processor, spreadsheet program, and presentation creator are some of the most likely to crop up. These are all staples of modern classroom technology, but can often be a costly tool to equip your "box" with, given that many word processors (such as Microsoft Word or Apple's Pages), spreadsheet applications (such as Microsoft Excel or Apple's Numbers), and presentation creators (such as Microsoft PowerPoint or Apple's Keynote) are not free to users and must be downloaded at a cost. However, luckily there is a loophole that can keep you from having to spend money on these useful classroom tools! (Docs.)
Web Applications (which are programs that you do not have to download in order to use and run online) such as Google Docs or Zoho Docs can provide the same services that these offline programs do, but for free! I have found that these applications are extremely similar, and that the only difference is that (for me, personally), Zoho seems a little more intuitive, layout wise. If you find yourself a preferer of keeping all of your online accounts linked together, Google Docs is probably the site for you, as it is automatically connected to your Google account. If you would rather keep your online accounts separated (as I like to do, myself), you may find that Zoho Docs is a better fit for you! Fundamentally, however, the sites are the same. Check out these example documents prepared by each of the programs:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1p7eLoZKg6ynFomZ5b_1qb1aXrxAcNjLkx4HfYj3qkMA/edit
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1p7eLoZKg6ynFomZ5b_1qb1aXrxAcNjLkx4HfYj3qkMA/edit
See how these documents are just as good as any document created with some fancy schmancy downloadable word processor?
What's handy about online programs is that all of your work is already one step closer to being sharable than work produced with offline programs! All you have to do is click "Share", since your work is already online! This enables others to see your work without the hassle of waiting around for your document to upload!
Concerned about not having your work saved to your computer? Not a problem! Just export the document to your computer through the online application (download it), and you can save wherever you want in the file type of your choosing!
Educators and future educators: Consider the possibilites that these web applications hold for your students! Collaborative projects would be made exponentially easier by these online programs. All the students would have to do is create a common username and password, and upload all of their work to the same place for instant sharing! Another option is utilizing the ability to list another Docs user as a collaborator, so that they can see all of your work on a project, if you enable them to! This would work around the inconvenience and confusion that is trying to share work between different computers, different file types, and different programs.
Give these sites a try! Just sign up for a free basic account and do some exploring! Web-based applications could save you a lot of trouble in your future, if you add them to your toolbox, now!
Monday, October 8, 2012
A Thing: The 12th One. (Google.)
Of all the tools we will look at, some will be versatile, and some will be limited to a very specific and narrow area of expertise. That being said, the tool which we will look into, next, is definitely one of the most versatile that we will study. (Google.)
Google.com has grown so much since its beginnings that it can hardly fit under the same, Google umbrella, anymore. The site is having to divide itself up into subsections, organized according to the service which that particular branch offers. For example, Google offers services like Google Translate, Google Maps, Google Calendars, and Google's Picasa, which each specialize in a very specific area.
For research purposes (and for the purposes of finishing my assignment), I did some exploring of Google Translate and Google Calendars, and was pleasantly surprised by my results. Google Translate (although its results must be taken with a grain of salt, at times) is a translation site that covers all of its bases. It can translate from almost any language I can think of to almost any language I can think of, and it's interface is easy-to-use and gets straight to the point, which I, personally, appreciate. Google Calendars included a nice, clean, easy-to-use interface, as well, which I appreciated just as much. It involved tools like color-coating, multiple calendars, and I could even sync the events in the calendar to my phone. I would easily recommend making use of any branch of Google's products--they all seem to be well-put-together, easy-to-use, and practical!
These tools in particular most definitely have academic potential. Google Translate is clearly related to foreign language, which is a requirement at most schools, now. Google Calendars could be used to share with students and parents, calendars of classroom or schoolwide events, such as assignment due dates, or official holidays on which there are no school.
Really, it's all up to you, though. These are just examples; Google offer's many services which can come in handy in many, many ways. The ball is in your court: How will you choose to Google?
Google.com has grown so much since its beginnings that it can hardly fit under the same, Google umbrella, anymore. The site is having to divide itself up into subsections, organized according to the service which that particular branch offers. For example, Google offers services like Google Translate, Google Maps, Google Calendars, and Google's Picasa, which each specialize in a very specific area.
For research purposes (and for the purposes of finishing my assignment), I did some exploring of Google Translate and Google Calendars, and was pleasantly surprised by my results. Google Translate (although its results must be taken with a grain of salt, at times) is a translation site that covers all of its bases. It can translate from almost any language I can think of to almost any language I can think of, and it's interface is easy-to-use and gets straight to the point, which I, personally, appreciate. Google Calendars included a nice, clean, easy-to-use interface, as well, which I appreciated just as much. It involved tools like color-coating, multiple calendars, and I could even sync the events in the calendar to my phone. I would easily recommend making use of any branch of Google's products--they all seem to be well-put-together, easy-to-use, and practical!
These tools in particular most definitely have academic potential. Google Translate is clearly related to foreign language, which is a requirement at most schools, now. Google Calendars could be used to share with students and parents, calendars of classroom or schoolwide events, such as assignment due dates, or official holidays on which there are no school.
Really, it's all up to you, though. These are just examples; Google offer's many services which can come in handy in many, many ways. The ball is in your court: How will you choose to Google?
A Thing: The 11th One. (Feed.)
In the last post, we looked at how to hook ourselves up with some sweet RSS action, and how to subscribe to different blogs. However, a problem can be posed when you don't really have any blogs to subscribe to. Fear not, though! We're going to explore some different options for learning how to feed that neat little thing that keeps you updated with that steady stream of blogdom. (Feed.)
Some tools that can help you find blogs you're interested in are:
Some tools that can help you find blogs you're interested in are:
In my experience, I've always just sort of happened upon my favorite blogs, without resolution to find them, so, honestly, none of the blog searches really appealed to me, personally. However, these are great tools for starting off your feed if you have no idea where to start! So click one of these puppies and search 'till your heart's content! For me, Google Blog Search was the easiest to operate. Topix was the most confusing for me on my first try, simple because I did not realize it was meant to search for topics in newsfeed, not blogs. Although I did find some interesting feeds using these tools, I believe the most relevant blogs I found are the ones that I stumbled upon on my own, without putting forth effort to look. The strangest thing I found were some of the Topix headlines. (People are strange these days, you know.)
Like I said, these links are only tools to assist you in the process of finding ways to fill your Feed up. I would still recommend simply exploring the blogosphere on your own time and seeing what catches your eye. It's like an adventure! However you go about it, though, whatever you do, don't forget how important it is to feed your feed!
A Thing: The 10th One. (RSS.)
If you're reading this right now, you're reading this right now. Which means that you're reading a blog. Which means that you may read other blogs. Which may that you may be burdened with the task of having to manually check a blog every time you want to read it. Lucky for you, I've got something in my toolbox that makes checking up on all those blogs you try to keep up with "really simple". (RSS.)
If you don't already have one, create an account with Google Reader. You're already almost there. All you have to do, now, is hit that pretty red "Subscribe" button, and do just that: subscribe. Enter the URL of a blog that you want to keep up with, and within seconds, your RSS Feed will be ready to display updates from that blog!
Tools like this are incredibly useful for those of us who have hefty daily reading lists, or overflowing bookmark bars. RSS Feed is a great way of keeping up with which blogs you follow and keeping up with those blogs! Personally, I love the convenience of being able to read posts from more than one blogging site in the same location. It keeps everything waiting for me in a nice, central location. It's like the supermarket of the blogosphere!
Educators can benefit greatly from this tool, seeing as it expedites the process of doing daily reading, and everyone knows educators could use more time. RSS Feed would be particularly useful in a situation in which students were asked to keep blogs. The teacher could keep up with them all in a single location without the hassle of remembering every individual URL. This could also prove useful in allowing teachers to keep up with education blogs, as well, though! RSS Feed simply makes locating blogs and knowing when new posts have been made easier. Therefore, where there's a blog, there's a benefit!
If you don't already have one, create an account with Google Reader. You're already almost there. All you have to do, now, is hit that pretty red "Subscribe" button, and do just that: subscribe. Enter the URL of a blog that you want to keep up with, and within seconds, your RSS Feed will be ready to display updates from that blog!
Tools like this are incredibly useful for those of us who have hefty daily reading lists, or overflowing bookmark bars. RSS Feed is a great way of keeping up with which blogs you follow and keeping up with those blogs! Personally, I love the convenience of being able to read posts from more than one blogging site in the same location. It keeps everything waiting for me in a nice, central location. It's like the supermarket of the blogosphere!
Educators can benefit greatly from this tool, seeing as it expedites the process of doing daily reading, and everyone knows educators could use more time. RSS Feed would be particularly useful in a situation in which students were asked to keep blogs. The teacher could keep up with them all in a single location without the hassle of remembering every individual URL. This could also prove useful in allowing teachers to keep up with education blogs, as well, though! RSS Feed simply makes locating blogs and knowing when new posts have been made easier. Therefore, where there's a blog, there's a benefit!
A Thing: The 9th One. (Generators.)
Ever been in a situation where you desperately wanted to incorporate some humor into a project of some kind? Ever been in that place where you're sorely wishing that you had some cheesy clipart graphic to insert, but you just can't find the right one? That place where you'd do anything for some kind of cutesy, corny picture, but you just don't know where to look? Alright, maybe you haven't been. But you'll probably get a kick out of this next tool, anyways! (Generators.)
You may be thinking: "Generating what?" Profit? Power? Some other thing that stars with a "P" that's typically thought of being created by means of "generation"? Nope. Probably not any of those. Unless you know some kind of fancy word for "Image" that starts with a "P". Like picture... Oh well. You get the point. We're going to think about image generators, how cool and neat they are, and how they have practical, cool, and neat applications in a classroom environment!
You may be thinking: "Generating what?" Profit? Power? Some other thing that stars with a "P" that's typically thought of being created by means of "generation"? Nope. Probably not any of those. Unless you know some kind of fancy word for "Image" that starts with a "P". Like picture... Oh well. You get the point. We're going to think about image generators, how cool and neat they are, and how they have practical, cool, and neat applications in a classroom environment!
You're gonna love 'em so much, that'll be you by the time this is over with.
I experimented with a couple of different generators, and these are the conclusions that I came to:
Conclusion Number One:
Conclusion Number Two:
That's about it. Seriously. The tool of the image generator has a hilarious amount of possibilities. You just have to know where to look! I would suggest www.imagechef.com, personally. It's nicely organized and gives you access to tons of interesting generators!
I think that generators could come in handy in classrooms as tools to incorporate humor into the lessonplan. Like I said--sometimes in life, you just need a cheesy graphic. It also wouldn't hurt to introduce students to image generators. They could prove useful for projects, and sure are entertaining to play around with anyways! You never know when you'll need this tool, however goofy it admittedly is.
If you want to try out any of the image generators I used in this post, check out the links below!
Fortune Cookie Generator
Or, if you're wondering if there's a generator out there for something specific, I would suggest Googling it.
Or, if you're wondering if there's a generator out there for something specific, I would suggest Googling it.
Have fun...
A Thing: The 8th One. (Mashups.)
So, we've talked about how you're a tool. And we've talked about how tools are tools. And we've talked about how you can combine the tool of yourself with the tool of other tools and make yourself a powertool. So, now, let's talk about tools for other tools that can help make your tools powertools, so that when you use them, it makes you a powerpowertool--or is it a powertooltool? Alright, a powertool-powered powertool! (Mashups.)
Let's use Flickr, which we explored the possibilities of in the last post, as an example. Numerous mashups involving Flickr have surfaced, and can be accessed here. Mashups are programs that are used in conjunction with another service to create a new tool, entirely. In Flickr's case, mashups with the site find ways to utilize the site and its images in new, creative ways. For example, I used http://metaatem.net/words/ (which searches Flickr for pictures of letters, so you can spell things, essentially) to create this:
Personally, I had a lot of fun choosing which letters to put where, and am satisfied with this product! I think that students would have a lot of fun with tools like this for Flickr, and that mashups for other sites carry the same potential for brightening up otherwise standards curriculum. I think that applications like this one are a great way of getting students' creative energy flowing and getting their minds engaged. As far as me using mashups like this personally, I am positive that there will be some situation in which I will be craving some sort of neat tool to add a neat spin onto something I'm working on, and I will, indeed think: "There's an app (or maybe a tool) for that!"
Let's use Flickr, which we explored the possibilities of in the last post, as an example. Numerous mashups involving Flickr have surfaced, and can be accessed here. Mashups are programs that are used in conjunction with another service to create a new tool, entirely. In Flickr's case, mashups with the site find ways to utilize the site and its images in new, creative ways. For example, I used http://metaatem.net/words/ (which searches Flickr for pictures of letters, so you can spell things, essentially) to create this:
Personally, I had a lot of fun choosing which letters to put where, and am satisfied with this product! I think that students would have a lot of fun with tools like this for Flickr, and that mashups for other sites carry the same potential for brightening up otherwise standards curriculum. I think that applications like this one are a great way of getting students' creative energy flowing and getting their minds engaged. As far as me using mashups like this personally, I am positive that there will be some situation in which I will be craving some sort of neat tool to add a neat spin onto something I'm working on, and I will, indeed think: "There's an app (or maybe a tool) for that!"
A Thing: The 7th One. (Flickr.)
When it comes to tools as far as photo-sharing goes, it can be hard to differentiate between all the websites out there. Tinypic, Photobucket, Pinterest, Instagram, Shutterfly, Picasa, Flickr? If you're finding yourself stressed out, overwhelmed by the choices, and wondering why people didn't just stick to those glossy-paged binder photo albums, then fear not. Today, we'll be shedding some light on a nice, helpful corner of the photo-sharing universe beyond the crafting scissors and the glue. Like all other things, all of these sites have their pros and cons. However, as square one, this post is going to be focusing on only one of these websites. Want a hint? It's a good one, and it's coming to you live, straight from Yahoo! (Flickr.)
Did you ever hear that sharing is caring? Cause it is! One of the greatest tools you can use as far as sharing your memories and experiences with others is a photo-sharing tool. And one of the greatest photo-sharing tools you can use is Yahoo's Flickr. This website offers a nice balance of professionalism and recreation, and allows you to network with other photographers by sharing your work, and sharing in others', all while interacting with Flickr's clean and organized interface.
As an educator, I believe that Flickr would be a useful tool to introduce students to. I believe that challenging students with creative projects is a great way to throw some variety into what can be a bland classroom experience. Perhaps, a teacher could find ways to incorporate photography into their lesson plans, and have the kids upload their assignments to Flickr. As for myself, I have had a personal Flickr account for years, now (it's been the best photo-sharing site I've worked with, so far).
Did you ever hear that sharing is caring? Cause it is! One of the greatest tools you can use as far as sharing your memories and experiences with others is a photo-sharing tool. And one of the greatest photo-sharing tools you can use is Yahoo's Flickr. This website offers a nice balance of professionalism and recreation, and allows you to network with other photographers by sharing your work, and sharing in others', all while interacting with Flickr's clean and organized interface.
As an educator, I believe that Flickr would be a useful tool to introduce students to. I believe that challenging students with creative projects is a great way to throw some variety into what can be a bland classroom experience. Perhaps, a teacher could find ways to incorporate photography into their lesson plans, and have the kids upload their assignments to Flickr. As for myself, I have had a personal Flickr account for years, now (it's been the best photo-sharing site I've worked with, so far).
See? However, I really strongly fancy the idea of a classroom Flickr account. Or a school or grade-level Flickr account, maybe. The classroom teacher, or principle, or class sponsor could act as a moderator to the group, and students could add their own photos to it, or perhaps they could email the photos to the moderator, and they could post them, to avoid any questionable content making it onto the site in the first place. That would be a nice way of promoting community in the academic environment, don'tcha think? I do!
So, go explore those other photo-hosters, if you want to! Like I said, they all have their pros and cons. I enjoy Flickr because it offers the perfect balance of seriousness for my purposes. It's not designated strictly for professional photographers, nor is it a breeding ground for meme images and 100 x 100 animated avatars, so it's a good match for me. If you have any concerns about putting your photos out there, try not to worry too hard; you can make your photos private, if you please, and you can set the copyright allowances however you want to! If you ask me, all of that sounds like a recipe for one great photo-sharing tool!
A Thing: The 6th. (Grooveshark.)
Beware: The following post may prove to be passionate, because the tool we are about to discuss is a very specific Web 2.0 tool, and it's one of my favorites on the Web! (Grooveshark.)
In this tech-savvy sea we're all being forced to sink or swim in, there are tons of tools that can be used for media organization, sharing, and discovery! There are wads of websites designated for photos, artwork, videos, literature, and music alike! As I mentioned, above, one of my favorite 2.0 tools is Grooveshark--a site used for uploading, organizing, sharing, discovering, and listening to music! For those of you who have never heard of it, there are three other well-known music tools I will compare it to: iTunes, Pandora, and Spotify. For me, at least, the evolution went like this:
If you look at the chart, you may be wondering why I'm writing about Grooveshark and not Spotify when the only difference is the lack of ads. I will tell you why, right now: I am a diehard music lover in such a huge way I'm not even sure that there are words around that can adequately explain it. When I listen to an album, I am a completely rapt listener. I am not just doing it because I kind of think the music is neat. For me, listening to music in and of itself is an experience, and nothing frustrates me more than some grating ad popping up at some unappreciated and inopportune time, during the album's course. That is why I prefer Grooveshark over Spotify. Sure, I could purchase a membership to Spotify, but hey, I'm a broke college student; what do you expect?
The only downfall of Grooveshark, for me, is that the music is user-organized, and therefore may not be completely accurate, as far as things like track names or listings go. However, this can be remedied with a quick stop at Wikipedia, Google, or any other easy source of information (and some discretion). But for me, not having ads is worth it.
In this tech-savvy sea we're all being forced to sink or swim in, there are tons of tools that can be used for media organization, sharing, and discovery! There are wads of websites designated for photos, artwork, videos, literature, and music alike! As I mentioned, above, one of my favorite 2.0 tools is Grooveshark--a site used for uploading, organizing, sharing, discovering, and listening to music! For those of you who have never heard of it, there are three other well-known music tools I will compare it to: iTunes, Pandora, and Spotify. For me, at least, the evolution went like this:
- iTunes is a tool used to organize and listen to music you own.
- Pandora is a tool used to listen to interactive radio.
- Spotify is a tool used to organize and listen to music you do or do not own, and listen to interactive radio including music you do or do not own.
- Grooveshark is a tool used to organize and listen to music you do or do not own, and listen to interactive radio including music you do or do not own, without the interruption of ads.
Below, is a chart comparing the features of these tools:
However, don't let the chart influence you too much. There is value in ALL of these applications, and it really just depends on personal preference.
If you look at the chart, you may be wondering why I'm writing about Grooveshark and not Spotify when the only difference is the lack of ads. I will tell you why, right now: I am a diehard music lover in such a huge way I'm not even sure that there are words around that can adequately explain it. When I listen to an album, I am a completely rapt listener. I am not just doing it because I kind of think the music is neat. For me, listening to music in and of itself is an experience, and nothing frustrates me more than some grating ad popping up at some unappreciated and inopportune time, during the album's course. That is why I prefer Grooveshark over Spotify. Sure, I could purchase a membership to Spotify, but hey, I'm a broke college student; what do you expect?
In an educational environment, I think that Grooveshark could definitely be of use to a teacher! I think that music is an excellent way to stimulate children in a learning environment. It can be offered as an incentive for good behavior, and used as a means of inspiration in a prompt situation for a class with a creative nature, such as Creative Writing, Art, or Theatre. It could also be a good resource for Music teachers or teachers whose classes cover topics relating to music, for they could use it to play relevant songs for students. Whatever situation arises in a classroom that requires free music, and fast, Grooveshark could help!
I invite you, readers, to look into, not just Grooveshark, but all of these media tools, and decide which one best suits your needs. I also invite you to tell me which one is your favorite, in the comment section, and why. Also, just a note: I compiled the table, myself, so if you feel that any of the information represented in it is inaccurate, feel free to let me know!
Sunday, October 7, 2012
A Thing: The 5th One. (2.0.)
Okay, kiddies. In this post, we're not going to discuss a conventional tool, now, you hear? (Not that the tools we've discussed so far have been conventional, either. This one is just even more unconventional than usual, in my opinion.) Today, we are going to discuss a conceptual kind of tool that will assist you in advancing on your journey through the web, teaching, or whatever else you may be here for! (2.0.)
What does the term Web 2.0 mean to you? If you have no idea what I'm talking about, you may want to whip out your nearest online or up-to-date encyclopedia. (Or, if you're a lazy bum, just click here.) After doing some research on the topic, myself, (which was actually a bit more extensive than the lazy bum Wiki-option) I have come to several conclusions about the concept of Web 2.0, the first of which being that that phrase is, in my opinion, perfectly cute and clever. While some people may be bitter towards the moniker, due to the fact that the Internet never really had a technical version-update, or switch to BETA, I raise my metaphorical glass to whoever came up with the phrase.
You see, to me, the term "Web 2.0" is, like Ian Davis says, "Web 2.0 is an attitude, not a technology.", which is definitely another conclusion I have drawn about the matter. The change from what would, theoretically, be classified as "Web 1.0" and Web 2.0 is not a change in the internet, itself, necessarily, but rather a change in its users. Internet-users are constantly expanding the massive network's potential, and finding new ways to improve how we put it to use. This includes finding ways to make internet usage more appealing, and expanding the audience that the Internet can cater to (that includes making it all more user-friendly for people who aren't exactly well-versed in programming of all sorts.)
To put it compactly: I see the Web as a tool, and Web 2.0 as a sleeker, easier-to-use version of the tool that makes it possible for more people to use it, and for those who use it to use it with less effort and more freedom.
With that being said, the term "School 2.0" represents to me the importance that educators seize the opportunities that are provided by Web 2.0 and the ever-advancing technology around us. It would be a waste not to take advantage of tools with such potential to assist teachers in teaching and students in learning, and to me, that is what School 2.0 is all about. It is about not falling behind the times and using resources as best as we can.
For schools of the future, this will mean paying attention. It will mean that a requirement of growing-necessity for educators will be an aptitude with, and a willingness to adapt to the evolution of technology. It will mean that teachers will have to become innovators and utilizers of the Web, who will strive to ring it out for all its worth to students.
So, what is the moral of the story, then, for all of you educators, and aspiring-educators, alike? Keep up with and make use of the tool of 2.0!
What does the term Web 2.0 mean to you? If you have no idea what I'm talking about, you may want to whip out your nearest online or up-to-date encyclopedia. (Or, if you're a lazy bum, just click here.) After doing some research on the topic, myself, (which was actually a bit more extensive than the lazy bum Wiki-option) I have come to several conclusions about the concept of Web 2.0, the first of which being that that phrase is, in my opinion, perfectly cute and clever. While some people may be bitter towards the moniker, due to the fact that the Internet never really had a technical version-update, or switch to BETA, I raise my metaphorical glass to whoever came up with the phrase.
You see, to me, the term "Web 2.0" is, like Ian Davis says, "Web 2.0 is an attitude, not a technology.", which is definitely another conclusion I have drawn about the matter. The change from what would, theoretically, be classified as "Web 1.0" and Web 2.0 is not a change in the internet, itself, necessarily, but rather a change in its users. Internet-users are constantly expanding the massive network's potential, and finding new ways to improve how we put it to use. This includes finding ways to make internet usage more appealing, and expanding the audience that the Internet can cater to (that includes making it all more user-friendly for people who aren't exactly well-versed in programming of all sorts.)
To put it compactly: I see the Web as a tool, and Web 2.0 as a sleeker, easier-to-use version of the tool that makes it possible for more people to use it, and for those who use it to use it with less effort and more freedom.
With that being said, the term "School 2.0" represents to me the importance that educators seize the opportunities that are provided by Web 2.0 and the ever-advancing technology around us. It would be a waste not to take advantage of tools with such potential to assist teachers in teaching and students in learning, and to me, that is what School 2.0 is all about. It is about not falling behind the times and using resources as best as we can.
For schools of the future, this will mean paying attention. It will mean that a requirement of growing-necessity for educators will be an aptitude with, and a willingness to adapt to the evolution of technology. It will mean that teachers will have to become innovators and utilizers of the Web, who will strive to ring it out for all its worth to students.
So, what is the moral of the story, then, for all of you educators, and aspiring-educators, alike? Keep up with and make use of the tool of 2.0!
A Thing: The 4th One. (Communication.)
Ever been in a situation that you felt uncomfortable or uncertain in, just because you weren't entirely sure what was happening? You have, haven't you? And it's not a good feeling, is it? Yeah, I didn't think so, either. However, you, me, and everyone else who agrees are all in luck, because there is one tool that will remedy those uncomfortable, uncertain situations just as long as you put it to use! (Communication.)
Let's talk about communication on the internet--specifically in the blogosphere. On the web, communicating generally occurs in the form of what surfers (of the net, not the sea) call "commenting". For those of you who are intimidated by the concept of commenting: Don't be. It's just like talking to someone, in person! You just get the bonus of unassumed proper grammer and a typing-muscles workout.
If you still haven't warmed up to the concept of commenting, let's think for a second about why it's important. In the blogosphere, you're going to be dealing with a bunch of writers, and as the Blue Skunk Blog says, "Writers like knowing that they have been read." Commenting is your way of letting bloggers know you've been reading! It's just as important as communicating in person is! Let's talk metaphors. Analogies, maybe. Commenting is to the Internet as replying is to real, in-person life. If someone spoke to you, and you listened to what they said, but instead of replying, you just stared blankly at them, how do you think that'd make them feel? How would you feel if someone did that to you? Reading a blog post and not commenting is the equivalent of that blank stare! Don't be a blank-starer--comment!
On a quest to eradicate internet-equivalent blank-staring (and to complete my assignment), I went on a commenting spree through five blogs of other students at my school, and two blogs outside of our community. To give you an idea of what makes and makes for good commenting here is a list of who I chose to comment on, and why:
Let's talk about communication on the internet--specifically in the blogosphere. On the web, communicating generally occurs in the form of what surfers (of the net, not the sea) call "commenting". For those of you who are intimidated by the concept of commenting: Don't be. It's just like talking to someone, in person! You just get the bonus of unassumed proper grammer and a typing-muscles workout.
If you still haven't warmed up to the concept of commenting, let's think for a second about why it's important. In the blogosphere, you're going to be dealing with a bunch of writers, and as the Blue Skunk Blog says, "Writers like knowing that they have been read." Commenting is your way of letting bloggers know you've been reading! It's just as important as communicating in person is! Let's talk metaphors. Analogies, maybe. Commenting is to the Internet as replying is to real, in-person life. If someone spoke to you, and you listened to what they said, but instead of replying, you just stared blankly at them, how do you think that'd make them feel? How would you feel if someone did that to you? Reading a blog post and not commenting is the equivalent of that blank stare! Don't be a blank-starer--comment!
On a quest to eradicate internet-equivalent blank-staring (and to complete my assignment), I went on a commenting spree through five blogs of other students at my school, and two blogs outside of our community. To give you an idea of what makes and makes for good commenting here is a list of who I chose to comment on, and why:
- Tori Hickman's 23 Things: I commented on Tori's post because I saw that she'd supported me by commenting on a post of mine, and wanted to do her the same courtesy! Returning the favor of commenting is kind of like a way of saying "Thank you for listening! I'm listening, too!" or maybe giving someone an e-fistbump.
- Rand's 3040 Reflections: I left Brionna a comment because I wanted to encourage her. Her post voiced her anxieties surrounding creating and maintaining a blog, and I wanted to send her a comment that would assist in motivating her to stick with it! I wanted to send her a virtual pat on the back of sorts.
- Maultbay's Blog: I was immediately drawn to Brittany's blog because I know her, personally. I left her the comment because I liked a point she had brought up in her post, and wanted to let her know. I figured she deserved a quick "I agree!", and wanted to give that to her!
- Moran's Blog: I decided to leave Saifir a comment because her blog title caught my eye. It was like a glint in the sifter! It included a pun (I am a sucker for puns, by the way), and I was compelled to read the post following it, because of it! The next natural step was to comment! I might compare to a gold star, internet edition.
- Teaching's a Journey: I commented Kaila to give her a criticism sandwich! I found an aspect of her post which I wanted to give positive feedback on, and an aspect which I had a suggestion for. It's important to give constructive criticism, if you think of it. It's just the web's version of "realtalk"!
- Dane's Education Blog: I stumbled upon Dane's blog and was so impressed by it, that I simply felt compelled to leave a general positive comment expressing my approval of the blog! It was just my pixel-y way of saying "Great job!".
- First-Year Teacher: I discovered Maggie's blog through one of my peer's, read through several posts, and almost-immediately wished to express to the author that I was looking forward to hearing more from her. I wrote up a comment telling her so, just to send her a figurative thumbs-up.
All of these blogs drew me in, in one way or another, and somehow coaxed a comment from my powered-by-Blogger "mouth", but not just everyone that's floating around out in the blogosphere is going to be as eager to comment as me! You might want to consider some tactics to improve the communication between yourself (if you choose to blog) and your readers! Try reading this article by Darren Rowse, if you want to learn about some techniques that can help you tempt your readers to get talkative! Remember: Communication is key--so is commentication!
A Thing: The 3rd One. (Use.)
Alright, so in my last two posts, we've explored some tools that can assist you in your journey (which, if you are reading this, is probably to becoming an educator). But, just knowing what tools might be useful to you isn't enough to make that journey happen; you have to know when, why, and how you can put these tools into action! That's right. There is one very important secret ingredient to making the most of any tool. (Use.)
Let's talk about blogs, again. And let's do it in the context of education. As the description of my blog states, I am an aspiring educator, and I am, indeed, here to educate other inspiring educators as well as educators. So, it's time we got down to business, right? Right. As an educator, a blog can serve as a very useful tool for you and your students. Now, let's discuss the when, the why, and the how!
Q: When should I use an education blog?
A: An education blog can be used whenever you want it to be! (As long as you have access to the internet.) Here are some ideas for how often to update:
Q: Why should I use an education blog?
A: As I've mentioned before, blogs can benefit you in many ways, including providing you with a means to express yourself, share information, and join an interactive communication network revolving around the ideas of yourself and others! As a teacher, you can use a blog for educational or informational purposes. The education blog allows you to provide students with an easily-accessible (as long as they have equally as easy access to a computer with internet connection) resource that's convenient for you to update, and can act as whatever you want it to be!
Q: How should I use an education blog?
A: An education blog can serve a variety of purposes, and chances are, if there is a function you would like it to have, then with a little creativity, you can make it work! Some ideas on how to use a blog for educational purposes are:
Let's talk about blogs, again. And let's do it in the context of education. As the description of my blog states, I am an aspiring educator, and I am, indeed, here to educate other inspiring educators as well as educators. So, it's time we got down to business, right? Right. As an educator, a blog can serve as a very useful tool for you and your students. Now, let's discuss the when, the why, and the how!
Q: When should I use an education blog?
A: An education blog can be used whenever you want it to be! (As long as you have access to the internet.) Here are some ideas for how often to update:
- Everyday
- Every other day
- Once a week
- As needed
Q: Why should I use an education blog?
A: As I've mentioned before, blogs can benefit you in many ways, including providing you with a means to express yourself, share information, and join an interactive communication network revolving around the ideas of yourself and others! As a teacher, you can use a blog for educational or informational purposes. The education blog allows you to provide students with an easily-accessible (as long as they have equally as easy access to a computer with internet connection) resource that's convenient for you to update, and can act as whatever you want it to be!
Q: How should I use an education blog?
A: An education blog can serve a variety of purposes, and chances are, if there is a function you would like it to have, then with a little creativity, you can make it work! Some ideas on how to use a blog for educational purposes are:
- To post students' assignments, daily
- To create a forum in which students can answer writing prompts or other assignments
- To allow students a network through which to communicate and give each other feedback on assignments
- To provide students with a location to access calendars, syllabuses, and other information
- To post homework exercises which would otherwise be printed worksheets (to save paper and ink)
- To share links to websites which could benefit students
These are only a few of the possibilities! Use your imagination; a blog is what you make it, so make it a tool!
Thursday, September 27, 2012
A Thing: The 2nd One. (Blog.)
While I still hold that you are the most important tool you could ever have, you will certainly be needing more! It is still up to you, first and foremost, to get the job done, but there are certain tools out there that can enhance and assist you in your job; they can make you into a power tool! Today, we are going to talk about one of these tools that, if you are reading this, (which I think we can all agree that you are.) you may already be more familiar with than you think. (The Blog.)
The web log, more commonly known as the "blog" is a great tool for expressing yourself, sharing information, and joining an interactive communication network that revolves around the ideas of yourself and others! I have created this blog, as an assignment for my Instructional Technology class. Because I created this blog for a specific reason, my decisions in creating and customizing my blog were specific in nature, as well. I chose my URL and blog title, based upon guidelines for an assignment for the class. (In fact, every post I make on this blog, until further notice, is made in compliance with a set of 23 prompts regarding "things" that will help our class's pupils become better acquainted with technology which can be used to assist teachers, and those who they work with, such as school administrators, students, and the parents of students.) My avatar was created using a website called doppelme.com, which was simple enough to use. I tried to create an avatar which accurately reflected both my appearance and personality. I think I was rather successful; don't you?
Most of the time that went into getting my blog up and running was spent on experimenting with various layouts, colors, and fonts via Blogger's "Customize" feature. Warning: If you choose to "customize" your blog, you ARE at risk of being sucked into a state of option-induced hypnosis which will be terminated only once you find yourself utterly satisfied with your blog's look.
Creating Things: 23 of Them. was not difficult for me, as I already considered myself, upon setting out to create it, to be quite a bit of a veteran blogger. That's right, kids. I have been bopping around the blogosphere now for three years and some change--almost four. However, I was accustomed to the ways of a different blogging site, and that makes it hard for me to define whether or not having blogging experience actually ended up coming in handy or not. On one hand, I knew that there were certain features of Blogger that were bound to exist, because, logically, and in accordance with other blog sites, they would exist. I would find myself looking in all the wrong places, though. I would compare using blogspot to learning a foreign language, I think. You know there's a phrase for "Where is the bathroom?"; but you just don't know what it is, just like you know there's a shortcut somewhere that leads you to your page as the public sees it; you just don't know where it is.
Hopefully, next time I report, I'll have figured out how to work this website a little more fluently. In the mean time, if you haven't already discovered the wonders of blogging and all of its possibilities--try it out! Whip yourself up a nice web log using Blogger, or any other site that tickles your fancy! Remember: blogging is a great tool to upgrade your always-accessible-tool self to a powertool!
The web log, more commonly known as the "blog" is a great tool for expressing yourself, sharing information, and joining an interactive communication network that revolves around the ideas of yourself and others! I have created this blog, as an assignment for my Instructional Technology class. Because I created this blog for a specific reason, my decisions in creating and customizing my blog were specific in nature, as well. I chose my URL and blog title, based upon guidelines for an assignment for the class. (In fact, every post I make on this blog, until further notice, is made in compliance with a set of 23 prompts regarding "things" that will help our class's pupils become better acquainted with technology which can be used to assist teachers, and those who they work with, such as school administrators, students, and the parents of students.) My avatar was created using a website called doppelme.com, which was simple enough to use. I tried to create an avatar which accurately reflected both my appearance and personality. I think I was rather successful; don't you?
Creating Things: 23 of Them. was not difficult for me, as I already considered myself, upon setting out to create it, to be quite a bit of a veteran blogger. That's right, kids. I have been bopping around the blogosphere now for three years and some change--almost four. However, I was accustomed to the ways of a different blogging site, and that makes it hard for me to define whether or not having blogging experience actually ended up coming in handy or not. On one hand, I knew that there were certain features of Blogger that were bound to exist, because, logically, and in accordance with other blog sites, they would exist. I would find myself looking in all the wrong places, though. I would compare using blogspot to learning a foreign language, I think. You know there's a phrase for "Where is the bathroom?"; but you just don't know what it is, just like you know there's a shortcut somewhere that leads you to your page as the public sees it; you just don't know where it is.
Hopefully, next time I report, I'll have figured out how to work this website a little more fluently. In the mean time, if you haven't already discovered the wonders of blogging and all of its possibilities--try it out! Whip yourself up a nice web log using Blogger, or any other site that tickles your fancy! Remember: blogging is a great tool to upgrade your always-accessible-tool self to a powertool!
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
A Thing: The 1st One. (You.)
So, let's face it. Every situation you encounter in life will have one thing in common. That's right. Every single solitary situation. Do you resent that? Are you questioning me on this? Are you making grand, internal statements about how there is no possible way that every situation one encounters could share a common variable, because in the universe around us, everything is constantly changing, so there is simply no way that anything could remain the same through every experience we ever have? Well, if you are, then I am glad I could trick you into taking your daily dose of critical thinking. However, you are incorrect. There is one thing that will be there, consistently, through everything you ever do: it's you.
And you know what that makes you? Super duper important, that's what. It is for this reason that self-examination is vital to success. Good self-examination skills may not be necessary to succeed, but they are surely a great assistance. Think about it. Imagine absolutely always having access to the greatest tool in the world, but not knowing how to work it. Self-examination is your way of writing the instruction manual to that great and always-accessible tool. (You.)
If you dig what I'm putting down, but you honestly have no idea how to go about this foretold of "self-examination", try starting here. This tutorial will familiarize you with seven and a curiously present "half" habits to start thinking about making for yourself. As you're mulling these over, consider which habits you already have, to whatever degree; and which habits are more likely to fall into the "not so much" category.
For instance, when I thought about these habits, myself, I realized that habits one and three are the easiest for me to carry out, and that habit four was the hardest. This, consequently, led to light being shed on the aspects of my character which make these habits respectively easier or harder to make. Now, I am aware that habit one is a habit that I form almost naturally, due to the fact that I prefer to imagine the big picture, before I concentrate my efforts on just a corner of it, and that the reason I take well to habit three is that I tend not to view obstacles as having the potential to stop me, but rather view them as having the potential to make me go in a different direction (around the obstacle). I am also aware that habit four is hard for me to form due to my intrinsic hesitation to believe in myself and my abilities.
See how that little bit self-examination familiarized me with my strengths and weaknesses? I wrote practically the entire first chapter of my instruction manual, just by doing that! (Figuratively, of course.) So now, write yours! Do a little introspection. What are you good at? What could use a little bit of work? What do you like doing? What are you a less jazzed about? Figure yourself out! Learning how to utilize yourself to the best of your ability will be a great advantage to you, in all of those situations you will encounter in your life, because you will always have you with you! You are your most valuable tool; learn how to use yourself!
And you know what that makes you? Super duper important, that's what. It is for this reason that self-examination is vital to success. Good self-examination skills may not be necessary to succeed, but they are surely a great assistance. Think about it. Imagine absolutely always having access to the greatest tool in the world, but not knowing how to work it. Self-examination is your way of writing the instruction manual to that great and always-accessible tool. (You.)
If you dig what I'm putting down, but you honestly have no idea how to go about this foretold of "self-examination", try starting here. This tutorial will familiarize you with seven and a curiously present "half" habits to start thinking about making for yourself. As you're mulling these over, consider which habits you already have, to whatever degree; and which habits are more likely to fall into the "not so much" category.
For instance, when I thought about these habits, myself, I realized that habits one and three are the easiest for me to carry out, and that habit four was the hardest. This, consequently, led to light being shed on the aspects of my character which make these habits respectively easier or harder to make. Now, I am aware that habit one is a habit that I form almost naturally, due to the fact that I prefer to imagine the big picture, before I concentrate my efforts on just a corner of it, and that the reason I take well to habit three is that I tend not to view obstacles as having the potential to stop me, but rather view them as having the potential to make me go in a different direction (around the obstacle). I am also aware that habit four is hard for me to form due to my intrinsic hesitation to believe in myself and my abilities.
See how that little bit self-examination familiarized me with my strengths and weaknesses? I wrote practically the entire first chapter of my instruction manual, just by doing that! (Figuratively, of course.) So now, write yours! Do a little introspection. What are you good at? What could use a little bit of work? What do you like doing? What are you a less jazzed about? Figure yourself out! Learning how to utilize yourself to the best of your ability will be a great advantage to you, in all of those situations you will encounter in your life, because you will always have you with you! You are your most valuable tool; learn how to use yourself!
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