Thing 21

I enjoyed looking through the variety of Wikis that were linked to Thing 21, and couldn't believe how many there are!  I found myself getting lost in the book reviews and trailers on the "Book Trailers for Readers" site.  I didn't know that Kevin Henkes wrote books for older children, it seemed like such a dark story from the man who also writes about a little mouse named Chrysanthemum.  I was also amazed at the wealth of information available through the "Wikihow" site.  There were instructions about everything, including how to teach your child multiplication!  I think this site will be very useful to me next year as I begin to teach a new grade level, and as a mom of two boys.  One thing that worries me about a Wiki is that everything is open to the public so it needs to be appropriate for all viewers to see.  I like the "history" feature and the need to sign in so you can see who is adding what.  I think I am more likely to use the Googledocs instead because it gives me a bit more control, but I love all of the information that is already available to me.

Thing 20

I have now subscribed to the "ColeyCast", a podcast created by the 5th graders at Tovashal Elementary in Murrieta, California.  I appreciate all of the hard work that this class has done to get their podcast up and running.  I found this Podcast through "Podcast Alley" as the "Education Podcast Network" was too slow on my computer, I will try that site again later.  Podcast Alley was very easy to navigate and do a refined search in my interest areas.  When I found a podcast that interested me, it was super easy to download and enjoy!  I am very serious about trying this next year in my class and hope parents find it as easy to use as I do.  I also played around a little with the "Add Your Podcast" button so I think I'll be able to share my podcast through this site as well.

Thing 19

Move over Oprah, I am starting my own Podcast!  Well... at least I am excited about trying it.  My husband has been downloading podcasts for some time now and I enjoy listening to them in the car with him.  Until now, I don't really think I understood how he did it.  I loved seeing the different Podcast available for Educators.  I am starting a new grade level next year and look forward to using some of these Podcasts to help with my planning.  http://storynory.com/ was one of my favorite sites and think students would really enjoy listening to the stories that are available.   http://mps.wes.schoolfusion.us/modules/cms/pages.phtml?sessionid=cc17faa3b4b3cc4b4356056651b975f8&pageid=115312&sessionid=cc17faa3b4b3cc4b4356056651b975f8 Radio WillowWeb is also something that I would like to subscribe to in the future.  I really appreciate all of the hard work that goes into creating a Podcast.  Students would have to do research, do lots of writing, work on teamwork, planning, rehearsing, presenting, etc.  What wonderful lessons!  Parents would love being able to hear what is happening in the classroom especially if the students are involved in the presentation.  I think my Monthly Newsletter might become a thing of the past.

Thing 18

The Love Project 2011

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I enjoyed looking at this slideshow site and never knew that such a thing even existed. I had a lot of fun searching for a show to post and found this one that includes many AMAZING photos from around the world, some from right here in Michigan. The slide show was one that was featured on this site, but the quote from John Lennon is what sold me. I also impressed myself that I remembered how to embed something into my Blog without having to go back to Thing 10. I might be getting the hang of this Web! I can see how this would be a wonderful tool in and out of the classroom. I did a quick search for slideshows in my area of teaching and found a few that could be helpful. This would be something that I am sure my students would love to help me create in the future.

Thing 17

I just can't believe all that is capable in Web 2.0.  I am a huge list maker so "Remember the Milk" was very fun for me to play around with.  This site lets you organize your to do list and will send you reminders if you would like.  My problem is that I just do not have the time to sit at my computer to get this organized.  I prefer to grab anything that is on the kitchen table (ex. a receipt, a napkin, a piece of cardboard, etc.) and jot down whatever it is that I need.  I also took a look at the site called "30 boxes" which I also enjoyed.  I have a terrible time remembering dates, birthdays, anniversaries, etc.  I recently bought myself a book to organize my cards each month to mail out for people's birthdays.  This site will allow me to enter all of these dates and then send me reminders as the date approaches.  Again, my problem is finding the time to enter all of my information!  I know that these sites are designed to make my life easier, it's just a matter of taking the time to do it.

Thing 16 Google Docs

We use Google Docs quite often at my school.  For my Principal it is a quick and easy way to gather information from her staff.  I like it so I can see what others have responded to her questions before I make my decision.  I think this would be great to use with older students who have an email account, as my first graders do not.  I love the idea that students are sharing their work with their peers and not just the teacher.  I think you would see better writing from them if they know another student will be reading their work and making comments.  I liked the quote from one of the teachers in the video that said, "I thought I was a good writer until someone else read my work." 

Thing 15 Managing RSS

Just the other day I was thinking...Gee, I should probably go back and check my Delicious account to see what's new.  I just went back and I had 911 unread items!  I knew this was not for me.  I am not one that has the time to sit at my computer for any length of time during the day.  I have a classroom full of energetic first graders at school and at 4:15 I run home to be with my energetic 3 and 1 year old sons.  By the time I get them in bed, I need to catch up on household chores and spend a little time with my husband and then...I am exhausted from the day.  I do see how beneficial this can be and even a bit addictive.  If I had the time I would really enjoy it.  Of the 911 items, I quickly and easily scanned a few and got some great tips and ideas.