thing 8

CC vs C --- Wow! CC is evidence that we are all in this together! Things that appear to be our own, are not even really "our own" anymore! We share EVERYTHING! We learn from eachother.. and we borrow ideas to use as springboards to open our minds up to new thinking! I remember as a child trying to come up with an essay topic to write about... all my mind could do was remain BLANK! I work BEST when prompted by ideas found in things around me.. if I'm trying to be creative, I scroll through tons of someone else's ideas on the internet, in magazines, photos, etc... Something will grab me and I will tweek it and develope it into something that truly is my own.. I've never really thought of that as really plaegerizing. And NOW I know it is just "CC". I can utilize these ideas to enable me to create something unique. As students find resources for use in their projects, they would be encouraged to find CC projects. This freedom will cause students to become even more creative and resourceful in their projects. In personal teaching I can use whatever media is out there and change it up to apply it to whatever I'm teaching. This will catch the kids' attention and get them motivated to learn. I think the media is a GREAT resource for teaching. Potential negatives will be that someone may not be able to realize what the original form is. This would not pay tribute to that person's original creativity... which seems unfair. But I guess that person would be inclined to make their work C instead of CC so that would not happen. I will have to check out the C/CC for media as I surf the internet. I haven't noticed it yet.

Thing 7A Wonderful Wiki's

I think I'm getting the concept of Wiki ---- My daughter is participating as a student in one of her classes. I like the example of the camping trip used in the introduction of the WIKI -- part of what made it understandable for me it the finality of it. It doesn't just keep going and going indefinitely. I like closure... set a goal and complete the mission. I'm interested in pursuing the Horizon Project
to find out more about incorporating technology into wiki's. I also enjoyed viewing the content related to the Presidential Election What a great way to share ideas and insights about classmates' opinions in a constructive way. The quizzes and plethora of information probably became informative to many students; keeping the election more purposeful instead of just a popularity contest. The wiki my daughter is participating in through her AP History Class has also been resourceful for me as a parent to view the opinions of the her classmates, and to allow me to keep up with the content being discussed in class.

Thing 5a

WOW! I feel ADHD -- I keep hopping from one good article to the next. This will take some getting used to! I love the fact that we have the world at our fingertips -- but I tend to like to keep things simple to enable myself to not get so involved that I can't get my arms around my world. This will definitely be a process. I love learning -- but I need to be able to categorize my information in order to make it accessible when it becomes relevent to life for me. My reader doesn't seem to be acquiring much new information -- I hope I've done it properly. Gotta go check out more info....

RSSing Thing 3

WOW! After adding the websites to my Google Reader, I browsed through the plethora of information! It's overwhelming! I will have to get used to the idea of being okay with not being able to keep up. One thing that I love about Barrow County newspaper is that it comes only twice a week. It is easier for me to be successful at keeping up with reading the newspaper when it is less frequent like that. This will be challenging for me to be satisfied with my inability to keep up with the news gravitating to my reader!

As for the tech news I was reading -- I'm also very interested in the future of education from a technical standpoint. I realize the desire for students to spend time on the internet to keep up through social networking. I am encouraged by the shift in thinking that encourages students towards the new area of academic networking (as is stated in the article, "What are the pros, cons, and safety aspects of social networking? By Terry Freedman". The article supports the need for teaching "netiquette" to students - giving them parameters for utilizing the web in an educational setting.

I am looking forward to using my google reader to continue to be up on the news of the day - even if there is more news than I can possibly keep up with.

Thing 2: To blog or not to blog?!

Due to the relaxed, conversational genre blogging provides, students will most likely be more open to reading and writing in the context of blogs than textbooks and workbooks. Students already utilize the facebook/myspace quizzes constantly and maybe this could easily transition them into a more purposeful internet experience like blogging.

While reading blogs, it is crucial to remember that the content is not usually fact, but instead is the writer's opinion created through their passion about the subject at hand. The reader should critically engage in the article so as not to become indoctrinated.

Blogs are most useful when readers contribute to the blog by responding in a meaningful way. This interactive aspect of blogging engages the readers in learning. This causes the readers to turn into writers as they inquire for more clarification and also converse with others who are posting. This ability to collaborate empowers all readers/writers to take ownership and develop their own resolve about the subject as is supported by the following blog: http://anne.teachesme.com/2007/01/17/rationale-for-educational-blogging/

This type of learning is much more beneficial to the students than the traditional rote-memory type learning because it fosters critical thinking and individual response. Therefore, I agree with the Fisch in his blog regarding the need for teachers to become technologically minded; hence my participation in this class. http://thefischbowl.blogspot.com/2007/09/is-it-okay-to-be-technologically.html And I am impressed with his school's list of class websites!

Thing 1-B

Using Web 2.0 is crucial if we want to continue to engage learners in the upcoming generations. Computers and interactive learning systems becoming a normal part of a child's life by the time they can walk. With the use of Web 2.0, our learning environments will become more "green" in that they will not need nearly the amount of paper that we have used in the past. Learning will become more interactive between teachers and students and also between students themselves. Therefore, real learning will take place - as it always does with interaction. There will be more purposeful writing because the students will be posting opinions to each other. Hopefully, this will provide a more positive, constructive peer environment. There also will be more of a global learning emphasis. The students and teachers will be collaborating with others across the world with the click of a button! It sounds overwhelming, and there will most-likely be some concerns along the way, but in the end, utilizing Web 2.0 technology will increase the potential for learners on a whole.

Thing 1-A

I have been in education since 1982 teaching a variety of grades ranging from prekindergarten to high school. Currently, I am working as a Career Center Coordinator at AHS. I am interested in using information from this course to provide students with an understanding of how to use the internet for more than just conversing with their friends about the drama of the day. This course will equip me with a vast array of technology that will be useful in helping students create portfolios about their high school years, converse with post-secondary institutions and even engage in their current learning environments.