For Thing #11, I was supposed to learn how to find good RSS feeds. Well, I have now become an expert on finding bad feeds! It has been a great learning experience because if this wasn't an assignment, I would have given up after an hour!
The method I found the easiest for finding good feeds is Google Blog Search. I do not know if I found it easier because I always use Google but I did find the most useful feeds. I found that Yahoo! News is just as easy to use as Google. I tried both Yahoo and Google and they both worked equally well.
The search tool I found the most confusing was Syndic8.com. I really never did figure out how to make it work right. I searched mathematics, mathematics teachers, school 2.0. I found nothing that fit any of those descriptions. Topix is an annoying search tool. I kept getting pop-ups every time I hit search. I have a pop-up blocker and still had pop-ups.
The most unusual RSS feed I found was a blog. I used Technorati and found a math teacher who is crazy! I mean crazy in a bad way. The person used derogatory remarks to comment on the people that commented on his/her blog. I will not post the name of the blog because I really thought it was inappropriate for a teacher to write those things. One good thing about the website is that it has a lot of useful information about teaching mathematics but the negatives far outweigh the positives!
When searching, I found a blog http://www.121maths.com/ and the content is useful to me as a soon to be teacher. The blog has many useful math explanations and ideas for lesson plans. I subscribed to the RSS feed and plan to use it in the future.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Thing #10
Thing #10 had me sign up for a free account with Google Reader and subscribe to five RSS feeds. I subscribed to NCTM, CNN, TN.gov, PBS TeacherLine Blog, and Free Technology for Teachers. One thing I like about RSS feeds is that I do not have to go to each site and see what is new. All I have to do is go to Google Reader and see what is new at each website. I did not know what RSS was until I completed Thing #10. I really think that I will use RSS for personal and classroom use. I like the idea of not having to bookmark every site that I visit. I definitely be using RSS feeds for personal and professional use.
I think high school teachers can use RSS feeds to their advantage. Teachers that have classroom blogs can make good use of RSS feeds. In the beginning of the school year, the teacher can ask the parents to subscribe to a reader, such as Google Reader. Then have the parents subscribe to his/her RSS feed on the classroom blog. This way the parents of high school students can keep track of what is going on within the classroom. The teacher can post homework, test reviews, calendars, and classroom news. This is a good way to keep parents of older students in the loop.
I think high school teachers can use RSS feeds to their advantage. Teachers that have classroom blogs can make good use of RSS feeds. In the beginning of the school year, the teacher can ask the parents to subscribe to a reader, such as Google Reader. Then have the parents subscribe to his/her RSS feed on the classroom blog. This way the parents of high school students can keep track of what is going on within the classroom. The teacher can post homework, test reviews, calendars, and classroom news. This is a good way to keep parents of older students in the loop.
Thing #6
I chose Etsy from the Web 2.0 Awards nominees list. I love this website! It features handmade items that are very unique. Sellers can create a virtual shopfront and personalize it. The useful features for sellers are that users do not have to buy a special domain, write code, build a website, and pay for hosting. People can items that fall into one of three categories: vintage, supplies, or handmade. It does not cost users much to use Etsy. Etsy charges $0.20 to list an item for four months and 3.5% transaction fee.
People looking to buy can find items by browsing by categories or by an advanced search. There is even a way to request custom items from a seller. The more I browsed, the more I wanted to buy! The only downfall of this website is that I could spend a fortune!!
I could use this in a mathematics class. I could have the students create a store front on paper and figure out what they would sell. Then they could calculate Etsy's charges and figure out how many items they would have to sell in order to make a certain amount of money. This could be a fun and creative lesson!
People looking to buy can find items by browsing by categories or by an advanced search. There is even a way to request custom items from a seller. The more I browsed, the more I wanted to buy! The only downfall of this website is that I could spend a fortune!!
I could use this in a mathematics class. I could have the students create a store front on paper and figure out what they would sell. Then they could calculate Etsy's charges and figure out how many items they would have to sell in order to make a certain amount of money. This could be a fun and creative lesson!
Thing #5
When I started Thing #5, I thought I knew nothing about Web 2.0. I now realize that I use it daily in my life. After reading many articles, I think that School 2.0 is a means advancing the curriculum by adding technology into the classroom. This is already being accomplished in many school systems by incorporating Smart Boards, Wiki Spaces, blogs, and classroom websites. Many textbooks are available as a eBooks. I think that many schools will be incorporating more technology into the classrooms. Schools need to teach students how to use the Internet more effectively and to show students that social networking can be used as much more than just My Space and Face Book. I looked through many articles about Web 2.0 but I am only going to discuss two of the sites I visited.
The first article I read was Web 2.0 A Guide for Educators. The article discusses that students already use the web and schools really need to get on board. The website states ”55 percent of all online American young people between the ages of 12 and 17 use social networking sites," that is huge compared to when I was in high school. I am amazed how much computer use has increased over the years. I graduated high school in 1995 and I was required to take keyboarding! That is not that long ago!
Teachers 2.0 is another site I visited. It is a blog for educators. I really thought this was a great site because it gives educators a place to look for ideas to incorporate technology into the curriculum. There is a monologue for the week and this is basically a lesson that someone has used. I really enjoyed the blog! I really got sidetracked though. One of the monologues was about World of WarCraft in Schools and I spent at least an hour on that site! There are actual lesson plans set up for WOW. The only reason I was interested was because I have a few WOW players in my family!
The first article I read was Web 2.0 A Guide for Educators. The article discusses that students already use the web and schools really need to get on board. The website states ”55 percent of all online American young people between the ages of 12 and 17 use social networking sites," that is huge compared to when I was in high school. I am amazed how much computer use has increased over the years. I graduated high school in 1995 and I was required to take keyboarding! That is not that long ago!
Teachers 2.0 is another site I visited. It is a blog for educators. I really thought this was a great site because it gives educators a place to look for ideas to incorporate technology into the curriculum. There is a monologue for the week and this is basically a lesson that someone has used. I really enjoyed the blog! I really got sidetracked though. One of the monologues was about World of WarCraft in Schools and I spent at least an hour on that site! There are actual lesson plans set up for WOW. The only reason I was interested was because I have a few WOW players in my family!
Friday, September 24, 2010
Thing #9
I spent a long time looking over image, text, and graphic generators. I attempted to create a comic strip but it took way too long. I also tried out countless other websites that were either not appropriate or were just stupid! I think I narrowed my search down to my top four sites!
I created this image on ImageChef. All that I did was pick a background and then pick out what words I wanted on the picture. I could change the color and the font. I found many fun things on this site. I could use this website to add interest to PowerPoint presentations and to create for posters around the classroom.
http://www.imagechef.com/ic/word_mosaic/
I created this at MatrixText.com. All that I did was pick a word, font, font color and then just click create. This was quick and easy. I think this would be a great website to use when making a PowerPoint. It would at least be good for the first slide.
http://www.matrixtext.com/
I uploaded this picture to BeFunky and created this image. It is a easy website to navigate and laid out easy to change your image. I do not know if I would actually use this in the classroom but I would use this website for personal use.
http://www.befunky.com/
I thought this was a funny image generator. I found it and decided it would be good for science teachers that teach labs because they can create actual caution signs. Other teachers can create signs that say "No cell phones" and many other things. I think I would use this for my classroom to make signs.
http://www.warningsigngenerator.com/
I created this image on ImageChef. All that I did was pick a background and then pick out what words I wanted on the picture. I could change the color and the font. I found many fun things on this site. I could use this website to add interest to PowerPoint presentations and to create for posters around the classroom.
I created this at MatrixText.com. All that I did was pick a word, font, font color and then just click create. This was quick and easy. I think this would be a great website to use when making a PowerPoint. It would at least be good for the first slide.
I uploaded this picture to BeFunky and created this image. It is a easy website to navigate and laid out easy to change your image. I do not know if I would actually use this in the classroom but I would use this website for personal use.
I thought this was a funny image generator. I found it and decided it would be good for science teachers that teach labs because they can create actual caution signs. Other teachers can create signs that say "No cell phones" and many other things. I think I would use this for my classroom to make signs.
Thing #8
I tried many of the Flickr mashup sites. I really enjoyed Jigsaw and Mosaic Maker the most. I think I could use these two sites to create images to decorate my classroom. I also could assign the students to investigate a mathematician and make a mosaic that explains the life of that person. I will use the Mosaic Maker for my personal use to create Christmas cards. I think I could make a great card! The following two pictures are my two creations.
I used Mosaic Maker to create the following picture. I uploaded pictures directly from my Facebook account to Mosaic Maker and created this cool picture!
I used a picture from my Flickr account to create this image on Jigsaw. I thought it was fun deciding on what picture I liked as a jigsaw puzzle.
I used Mosaic Maker to create the following picture. I uploaded pictures directly from my Facebook account to Mosaic Maker and created this cool picture!
Thing #7
I explored Flickr for Thing #7. I enjoyed learning a new way to post my pictures to share with others. I really do not believe that I will use Flickr in my classroom. A mathematics classroom does not have much need for a picture sharing site. I would possibly use it for my personal use but currently I use Facebook to share photos with family. I have never used another photo hosting service. This is the first time and I think that it is easier for me to post photos on Facebook because I use it already.
I do not mind having my photo in a public place. I do not behave in a fashion that can be misconstrued, so any picture of me on the Internet does not bother me. I would be concerned if I behaved in a non-professional manner.
This a picture I took of a Day Lily that grew in my back yard!
This is a picture of my son. We spent a day at Percy Priest Dam throwing rocks and having a picnic!
This a picture of North Dakota at 6:00 am. Beautiful sight!
I do not mind having my photo in a public place. I do not behave in a fashion that can be misconstrued, so any picture of me on the Internet does not bother me. I would be concerned if I behaved in a non-professional manner.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Thing #3
There are numerous ways to use blogs in the teacher education program. I think that student teachers can use a blog to reflect on what went well and what did not go well in a lesson. The student can also ask others for assistance. Other students may be able to relate and give good advice on what worked for them in a similar situation. I think that being a reflective practitioner is the most important attribute of being an excellent teacher and a blog is a perfect place to reflect.
I am really excited to use a blog when I start teaching. I plan to use a blog to keep an up to date list of homework assignments and important events. This will help the parents because they will be able to check to see what their child was assigned for homework. This will put an end to kids telling their parents that there was no homework!! Students and parents will also be able to post questions about any assignments.
I am really excited to use a blog when I start teaching. I plan to use a blog to keep an up to date list of homework assignments and important events. This will help the parents because they will be able to check to see what their child was assigned for homework. This will put an end to kids telling their parents that there was no homework!! Students and parents will also be able to post questions about any assignments.
Thing #2
My posting name is Cool Math Teacher. I chose this name because I think many students assume math teachers are all dorks with pocket protectors. We are not all dorks! (Well, maybe sometimes!!) I want to be able to teach students mathematics in a way that makes learning fun. When I learned math, I memorized formulas for a test and then forgot them. I want my students to be able to relate to the material, remember it for years to come, and remember a cool math teacher taught them.
The name of my blog is “Pi (not the kind you eat!!)”. I chose this title because I think it is humorous and because Pi is my favorite number. Pi is a number that everyone has at least heard of and most people can actually tell you it is 3.14. The number pi is important to both mathematicians and non-mathematicians. It is used in mathematics, physics, business, art, engineering, architecture, and many other fields.
I think that creating the blog was easy. The hard part of creating the blog is deciding on your posting name and the name of the blog. I have actually changed the name a few times. At first, I decided I would use my real name and then decided against it! The title of my blog was also hard. I wanted to reflect my personality but did not want to sound like an idiot. Hopefully it worked!!
My avatar reflects my personality because I it looks wide eyed and ready to begin. I am standing in a classroom, in the picture, ready to teach. My avatar looks similar to me and is dressed how I prefer to dress. I can not dress in jeans and a t-shirt every day in a classroom, but those are the clothes I feel more comfortable wearing.
The name of my blog is “Pi (not the kind you eat!!)”. I chose this title because I think it is humorous and because Pi is my favorite number. Pi is a number that everyone has at least heard of and most people can actually tell you it is 3.14. The number pi is important to both mathematicians and non-mathematicians. It is used in mathematics, physics, business, art, engineering, architecture, and many other fields.
I think that creating the blog was easy. The hard part of creating the blog is deciding on your posting name and the name of the blog. I have actually changed the name a few times. At first, I decided I would use my real name and then decided against it! The title of my blog was also hard. I wanted to reflect my personality but did not want to sound like an idiot. Hopefully it worked!!
My avatar reflects my personality because I it looks wide eyed and ready to begin. I am standing in a classroom, in the picture, ready to teach. My avatar looks similar to me and is dressed how I prefer to dress. I can not dress in jeans and a t-shirt every day in a classroom, but those are the clothes I feel more comfortable wearing.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Thing #1
I watched a video on the 7 1/2 Habits of Highly Successful Lifelong Learners. The easiest lifelong learning habit I learned watching the video was to begin with an end in mind. I am a very goal oriented person and I always have a goal in mind when I start something. The hardest lifelong learning habit for me is to have confidence in myself as a competent, effective learner. I do not always have the confidence in myself and sometimes get discouraged easily. Sometimes if I do not get it on the first try, I do not even want to try it a second time. After watching the video, I learned that in order for me to be a successful lifelong learner, I must always keep a positive attitude about learning.
I am excited about learning Web 2.0. This course was not required for my major, but educational technology is a useful class for me when I begin teaching high school students. I am excited that I learned how to set up a blog. I cannot wait to learn how to use the web more effectively. Setting up the blog was very easy and straightforward. I kept two windows open so I could easily flip back and forth between the instructions and the Blogger website. I did not have any problems!
I am excited about learning Web 2.0. This course was not required for my major, but educational technology is a useful class for me when I begin teaching high school students. I am excited that I learned how to set up a blog. I cannot wait to learn how to use the web more effectively. Setting up the blog was very easy and straightforward. I kept two windows open so I could easily flip back and forth between the instructions and the Blogger website. I did not have any problems!
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