West's Words

Action Research Topics

2010-09-06T17:02:00.000-07:00

As I reflected on possible research topics I tried to draw from problems I have experienced in my own classroom where I see potential for improvement. One of the topics that concern me is the issue of departmentalization versus self-contained in sixth grade. Therefore, one of my proposed topics is researching the advantages of a self-contained classroom in upper-elementary grades. My principal offered several other suggestions in addition to mine at our brief face-to-face meeting. One of the topics she proposed was researching what role the principal plays in retention of new teachers in their first three years as educators. Because of my experiences since becoming a teacher I have worked under several different principals. She felt that this exposure to different administrative styles could help me in my research. Another suggestion she offered is to look at different inclusion models at the elementary level and find out the advantages to each. Inclusion is something our campus began last year and we are definitely searching for the most effective way to implement it in our classrooms. Ultimately, I believe we are both leaning towards researching the advantages of a self-contained classroom in upper-elementary grades and the relationship between them and student success on state tests. This is a topic that has been of concern to my principal and several grade levels on our campus for the last couple of years. Teacher opinions are mixed on the issue. Since my principal is highly encouraging several grade levels, including my own, to consider this more thoughtfully for next year she feels the data may be very useful for our campus.

The Benefit of Blogs for Educational Leaders

2010-08-29T18:08:00.000-07:00

Blogs have several benefits to offer educational leaders. I will highlight just a few here. One of the perks of using a blog is that it allows educators to communicate with and learn from other educational leaders who may be hundreds of miles away. It instantly expands their scope of influence. These blogs allow principals to share learning, both successes and missteps, of their action research. Blogs can also be a benefit between principals, teachers, and/or other stakeholders. Principals can share learning with their staff members and get their feedback in a way that is non-threatening and convenient through the use of a blog. Teachers can share collaboratively with one another on a blog as well. The benefits seem to be many when blogging is done on a consistent basis.

Action Research - What's it all about?

2010-08-29T17:38:00.000-07:00

I have to admit that action research is a new phenomenon to me. I had never heard of it until I began this class. I have found it to be an interesting concept based on our reading and I think it will be useful to me as a classroom teacher despite the fact that I do not desire to become an administrator.

Action research is a method of inquiry by a principal or teacher. It requires reflecting on one's own practices to discover areas of weakness and targeting those areas for improvement. Once you have decided on a topic for inquiry, action research requires reading about and gathering data on possible solutions. Then, based on your findings you begin to implement solutions you have found. Throughout the entire process you must continually gauge the progress of the things you have implemented. If these are adding value, then you will continue. If they are not, then you might discard them and try another possible avenue for the expected outcome. I think one of the most important aspects of action research is reflection. You must set aside time to reflect upon the changes you've made and if they are producing the desired results. Action research emphasizes lifelong learning and inquiry.

As an educator, lifelong learning and inquiry are very important to me. I feel that it is my responsibility to continually learn and stretch myself to be a better teacher and facilitator of learning in my classroom. This is one of the great benefits I will receive from action research. I also really like the idea that I get to be the one who is fueling the research and the plan for improvement. Because I am the one in the classroom everyday I like that I do not just have to rely on some professor or outside expert who really cannot relate to my situation at my campus with my students. While there is benefit to their knowledge, sometimes it tends to be irrelevant or unrealistic to accomplish in "real life". I know that once I become more familiar with action research I will be able to use it to better my teaching practices in my own classroom and hopefully serve as a help to improve certain aspects of my campus as well.

Course Reflection #5

2010-08-11T20:37:00.000-07:00

I learned many things about myself throughout the five weeks of this course. One of the things that I mentioned in a previous post is how I must manage my time better. I tend to spend too much time over-thinking my responses or work rather than just having confidence and going with my instincts. I also allow myself to be distracted by other things that are going on and can lose focus, which extends the time I need for a particular task. Time management is a goal that I have in mind for improving in the next course and the others that follow.

Another thing that I realized about myself during this class is how little I really knew about technology and implementing it in the classroom. I tend to pride myself on being an educator who is "in the know" and is constantly learning. I by no means considered myself a technology expert before beginning this course, but I certainly felt like I knew more than I actually did. While I had some surface knowledge of many of the Web 2.0 tools we looked at, I did not fully understand how they worked or could be used in my class. I am definitely grateful that we were required to read a technology leadership book, since it probably wouldn't have been a priority if it weren't mandatory. The book I read offered a wealth of knowledge and resources that helps me be better equipped as I enter my classroom hoping to implement some of my new learning.

One other thing that I really acknowledged about myself during this course is how little leadership experience I have. I knew this of course, but when we actually had to put it on paper in our Curriculum Vita it made me think about it more. I don't typically consider myself a leader because I tend to be quiet and would much prefer staying in the background to being in the spotlight. What I've realized though is that I don't have to change my personality; I just have to be willing to step out of my comfort zone. I want to be the best teacher I can be and I also want to help other teachers be their best. This will require some new adventures for me, but I am excited to build my leadership experience through my Internship.

Course Reflection #4

2010-08-11T20:14:00.000-07:00

Thankfully, I was successful in carrying out the course assignments. Was there room for improvement? Always! However, I am proud of the work that I turned in. Some weeks were definitely better than others. While I did manage to achieve success on all the assignments there was one thing that I learned quickly could stand in my way if I let it. That one thing was time management! When I began the course I think I started it a little naively and I wasn't aware of the magnitude of time and effort it would require. One of my weaknesses has always been procrastination. I learned in week one that procrastination was a recipe for disaster in this class. This program requires dedication and effort that I think outmatches that of a traditional classroom delivery. I easily spent fifteen to twenty hours each week completing the readings, discussion board, and assignments. I am not complaining. I am just simply stating that one of the learning curves in this class for me was realizing the requirements involved and managing my time accordingly. For that reason, I am very grateful that I started the program during the summer. Now I know what I have to do to be successful and I am hopeful that I can figure out a time management system that works for me in the upcoming classes once I am back at work full-time.

Course Reflection #3

2010-08-11T20:00:00.000-07:00

When I look at my progress in this class as a whole I am definitely pleased with my results. I, of course, made mistakes and blunders along the way but I am satisfied knowing how much I learned. As far as learning outcomes, I feel that one area where I am still weak is that of acquiring knowledge for providing and supporting campus technology infrastructure and digital service. We had several readings that helped to better inform me and they did to a certain extent; however, I humbly admit that when it comes to infrastructure and all of the inner workings of what fuels technology my brain tends to wander. I'm sure that is shameful for someone who is seeking a Master's in Educational Technology Leadership to admit! It's not that I don't want to understand these concepts, it's just that I have a much harder time with them. As a teacher who loves her job and being the best she can be, I am always excited by the hands-on tools I can implement in my classroom. I find the infrastructure much more difficult to process and therefore much less exciting. This is something I hope to work on becoming more proficient at in my future courses.

Course Reflection #2

2010-08-11T19:34:00.000-07:00

The learning outcomes of this course are undoubtedly very relevant to my work. The topics that were covered in this class will be invaluable to me as an educator. I feel better prepared to start another school year and hopefully implement much more technology than I previously have. Of course, the fact that we learned about digital natives and what they require will help me in this endeavor. Also, the practical tools that we learned about and became familiar with both through our assignments and our leadership book, are ones that I can take back and use in my classroom much more confidently than before.

Another learning outcome that is hugely relevant to what I do as a teacher is learning about ethical use, intellectual property, copyright, and cyberethics. I have to admit that I myself was a little ignorant on these issues, especially when it came to copyright. It is such a complex issue, but I feel that I received a few resources that make it much easier for me to understand more fully and explain to my colleagues. I also feel much more prepared to teach my students how to be ethical users of the Internet and how to protect themselves from predators. I always saw this as one of my responsibilities as an educator, but I didn't feel well equipped to do it. I am grateful that most of the learning outcomes of this class were directly linked to my needs as an educator and a leader of technology use on my campus.

Course Reflection #1

2010-08-11T19:17:00.000-07:00

I have to admit that prior to the beginning of this course, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. This was my first course in my Master's program and I didn't exactly know what I was going to experience along the way. I hoped to get my feet wet in this course and begin to understand what the program would be all about and to get a basic introduction to becoming a leader in educational technology.

The truth of the matter is that while I came in unsure of what I would learn, I was definitely not disappointed. I gained so much knowledge in this course. As I looked back over each week's learning outcomes and assignments I was reminded of that fact once again. I learned how to assess my own abilities with technology and leadership. I became more familiar with the STaR chart and ways that districts measure their progress in technology. My favorite week was probably week 3 when I was able to actually use the tools that I could incorporate into my class, such as wikis and blogs. While not as exciting, but very important, I also gained a wealth of information about copyright and cyberethics. This is vitally needed so that I can help my students be responsible users of Web 2.o tools. Overall, my learning far exceeded any preconceptions about this class and I am excited to move on to my next course.

Web Conference Reflection

2010-07-29T13:54:00.000-07:00

The web conference was interesting, albeit frustrating at times. I am actually glad that it was required of us this time because it forced me to try it. I had never participated in anything like that and am glad I have now gotten to experience one. I appreciated seeing and hearing from Mrs. Borel. The part of the conference that I found most useful was hearing her discuss our internship and how the process of applying and planning would work. One thing that I really wish could have happened that did not was her giving a few explanations of some task examples based on the 33 standards. For example, if she had just said here is standard 1 and based on this some task examples would be such and such. That would have been so helpful to me because I have found the text to be much less helpful than it was promised to be. There doesn't seem to be much more explanation than our handbook provided.

Most of the frustrations were to be expected from a group of first-timers. There were times when people's microphones squealed unpleasantly and when Mrs. Borel's speaking cut out completely. There were moments when she seemed to be in fast forward mode and I couldn't understand her at all. I'm sure these are issues that can be smoothed out with time, patience, and practice. I plan on attending a few more web conferences so I can gain some more experience. Overall, it was a positive learning experience.

2010-07-22T21:46:00.001-07:00

E- RATE Slide show - week 2

View more presentations or Upload your own.

Posting #3 National Educational Technology Plan

2010-07-22T12:12:00.000-07:00

The National Educational Technology Plan centers around five important goals that the U.S. Department of Education feels are necessary for bringing about needed change in our educational system. One of the goals noted is that learning experiences should be engaging for students both in and out of the classroom so that they can function in a 21st century society. The second goal is that schools will use technology to assess and use that data to continuously improve instruction. Third, teachers should be supported alone and in teams and that support should drive them to be more efficient educators. Fourth, all students should have total access to sufficient infrastructure that will fuel their learning. The last goal is that schools will redesign their processes and structure so that they best use time, money, and personnel.

The plan speaks to teaching, as it is now, and as it should be if the plan is successful. Right now the plan describes teaching as isolated, from both colleagues and other experts. An educator's task has been to cover his/her curriculum and ensure that students are prepared for standardized testing. Also, professional development happens in isolation at sporadic times with little connection to content or integration. The National Educational Technology Plan prescribes a paradigm shift for teaching. No longer should teachers teach in isolation, but rather in connection with their colleagues, experts, and their students. In order for teachers to do this effectively they must have appropriate technology in their grasp so that they can focus on creating a more learner-centered environment for their students. Collaboration is the key to connected teaching. Professional development should become more ongoing and aid teachers in integrating technology within their content.

Not only will teaching see a paradigm shift, but as a result, so should learning. Learning has tended to be more of a one-size-fits all mentality. Traditionally, one educator is in the classroom dispensing knowledge to their students in the same manner. The plan sets out to see learning transformed with the help of technology. It suggests that there should be core competencies that each student is learning but the way that they are making meaning of the content should be individualized with much of the choice lying on the students' interests and ability levels. In other words, differentiation should be taking place in all classrooms and technology is an avenue to facilitating it in a successful way.

The plan has goals and a vision for education that are encouraging and inspiring. The goals do not seem to be unreasonable to me. In fact, they are based on research, thinking, and trends that have already been surfacing in education. The most obvious obstacle to me seems to be supplying teachers with the technological resources required and the training to be prepared to use them.

Posting #2 District Technology Plan

2010-07-22T11:11:00.000-07:00

The goal of our district's technology plan is to "infuse 21st Century skills throughout the District integrating technology as a tool for problem-solving and creativity." Mesquite ISD seeks to actualize this goal by equipping teachers and students with 21st century tools. For example, campuses have student computers, laptops, Promethean boards, IPod touches, and other technological equipment available for use.

In order to ensure that teachers are prepared to use this equipment our district offers multiple staff development opportunities. Most of the staff development classes teach teachers how to use the technology and offer suggestions for classroom application. Some of the classes are unique in that they teach teachers how to train their students in using the technology. Technology specialists are responsible for planning and implementing staff development opportunities; however, teachers are also encouraged to teach classes and share their expertise with others. All teachers who attend classes receive a stipend known as "Pay for Knowledge". This is just a small incentive that our district uses to encourage teachers to continue learning.

All of this technology comes at a price. Our district participates in E-Rate but also budgets for the portion that is not discounted. One of the ways that allows for resources that we cannot afford with our budget is by receiving grants. Our technology specialists write grants regularly that allow our campuses to gain new technology tools. Teachers are also encouraged to write grants and classes are offered to train them in this endeavor.

Software and other resources are typically assessed for their usefulness in improved student learning by evaluating student data through various assessment tools. Teachers are also frequently surveyed for their input about technology usefulness in their classrooms. Mesquite ISD relies heavily on STaR chart to monitor their progress toward reaching district and campus technology goals. The data from STaR chart helps to guide administrators and teachers as they write their campus improvement plans.

All of these elements work together to help our district progress in the area of technological advances so that our students will benefit from learning and working with 21st century tools.

Posting #1 Technology Assessments

2010-07-21T20:17:00.000-07:00

Technology assessments have a worthwhile purpose for educators. These assessments help to identify areas of strength and weakness. There is an enormous emphasis on data-driven decisions in education. On my campus our data drives our decisions about our instruction. We base our tutoring and acceleration groups on data. The list could probably go on and on. My point is that data drives so many of the decisions we make within the context of teaching and education. Therefore, it only makes sense that we would also use data to assess where we are on the road to meeting the standards of the Long Range Texas Plan for Technology. We cannot fix what we are not aware of, so it is essential that we have assessments that help us evaluate what we are doing well and what we need to improve upon. The STaR chart is useful because it allows you to see a snapshot of just your campus. I appreciate that it is broken into different categories with very specific descriptions of each. This allows you to see that while your Infrastructure may be on target, there is still a need to improve upon Educator Preparation. The information and readiness levels are broken up in a reader-friendly format that makes analyzing strengths and weaknesses quick and simple.

While there are many advantages to using technology assessments such as the STaR chart, there are also some disadvantages. On one hand it is nice to be able to see a snapshot of your campus; however, on the other hand it doesn't necessarily give you an accurate picture of how you are doing with the technology standards. For example, there are some areas that I would view as a strength for myself that are ranked as a weakness with my campus because we are all lumped into a group together. Because there may be a majority of teachers on my campus who strictly use technology as a means for organization and classroom management, we may never move ahead to a more advanced level, despite the fact that a number of teachers integrate it into their lessons. Another disadvantage that I find with the technology assessments is that they are not all created equal. Some of the surveys we completed last week I found to be a bit irrelevant and meaningless. For example, there was one survey in particular that had questions that I had to mark happened less often simply because I do not have the technology readily available for my students. Once I had completed the survey it showed that I was at the very beginning stages, citing that I may occasionally use the internet or word processing tools. The explanation was ridiculous and did not apply to me at all. So, while some surveys are very meaningful others can be useless if the questions are too vague or general.

Despite the fact that there are both pros and cons to technology assessment I still believe that it is essential in helping us move forward with 21st century tools in our classroom.

Summary

2009-07-15T20:18:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I did it!! Thank you so much for an amazing class. I can undoubtedly say that I have never learned so much in one staff development class. It took a long time to work my way through the course but I found most of the things surprisingly easy to use once I played around with them. I appreciate that you gave us just enough directions so that I wasn't completely lost but you also didn't spell every single thing out for us. This forced me to play and figure some things out for myself and I learned so much as a result. I cannot even begin to narrow down one favorite thing. There are too many that I absolutely loved! I will definitely be using Delicious, GoogleReader, and GoogleDocs as staples. One of the things that I really appreciated was learning how to blog! This is something that I will be implementing for this coming school year. I will probably either reinvent this blog or create a new one altogether to keep parents updated. Hopefully I will get my students blogging too!

I would absolutely take another course like this if it was offered! There is nothing that you should change--you have created a fantastic course. Thank you for inspiring me to continue staying up with the world of Web 2.0. My resolution is to start my blog for my class and to continue looking for opportunities to integrate technology into my class through the tools we have learned here. I know I won't be able to conquer them all at once, but I am going to do my very best to weave them into my lessons. This is definitely not the end, it is only the beginning!!

Thing #23

2009-07-15T19:43:00.000-07:00

Wow!! Ning was not really what I was expecting it to be...I had NO idea how much information was going to be there. It could quickly become information overload! I really did enjoy exploring the site. I liked the forum tab that allowed you to look at the discussions that were going on and there were plenty of them, that's for sure! I came to especially like using the tabs on the sidebar that allowed you to search by subject, tool, area, etc. I chose to focus in on blogging because it is something that I am definitely considering using in my classroom next year. I am thinking of a blog to keep my parents informed, but I am also wondering about having my students blog as well. I found a really great blog through a member on Ning. She is a teacher who has her students blog about the books they've read. It was fantastic! I tagged it on my Delicious account and will be going back to it. I was excited to find so many resources at my fingertips. The conversations were so diverse that I know that Ning could prove to be an invaluable resource to me. It is something I will be exploring further to continue sharpening my technology skills in the classroom and for advice on other topics we face as educators as well. I am glad to have been introduced to Ning!

2009-07-15T19:40:00.001-07:00

Thing #22

2009-07-15T16:50:00.000-07:00

I recently joined Facebook at the encouragement of family! My whole family was on Facebook and kept asking my husband and me what we were waiting for. I was reluctant at first...it can become so time consuming and sometimes seems so silly! I know this because I used to do MySpace in college to keep up with church friends and some high school friends. I enjoyed it for a while...until I realized once I started teaching that all of my students were on there and it just seemed weird, so I deleted my account!! After seeing both MySpace and Facebook, I definitely prefer Facebook. The content typically seems more appropriate. I have seen some frightening things on MySpace and it often worries me for my students to use it.

I like that you can set all of your privacy settings as you desire. I do not like the idea of the whole world being able to see my profile and photos, so it is nice to be able to set those for friends only. I like that you have to confirm before a friend is added so that you have control over what is on your page. Personally, I do not like many of the quizzes on Facebook. They seem really silly, but I guess to each his own!! Overall, I think Facebook is nice. I like that I can keep up with family and I have found a few friends from high school. It was nice to reconnect and see how they are doing!

As far as educational purposes go, I am not so sure that I am sold! I have a hard time seeing how Facebook would work for that. I know that there would be options to set up groups for a specific purpose, so classmates or group members could collaborate for homework help or projects. I don't know how often that actually happens, but I'm sure it could be a possibility. Regardless, I do think that it is important to be aware of Facebook and MySpace because our kids are definitely in the know and we need to be too!

You can find my profile here.

Thing #7b

2009-07-13T20:47:00.001-07:00

While perusing through my Google Reader, I found something that I thought was really great and I wanted to share it. One of my feeds is Free Technology for Teachers and the author always shares great technology tips and education applications. This time the author posted a link to a post entitled Wordle in the classroom. It caught my attention, of course, because we have looked at/explored Wordle in this class. The post included a slideshow of 38 Ways to Use Wordle in the classroom. It was fantastic! I got several good ideas of how to incorporate Wordle into my class and I am noodling over how to tweak some of the presenter's ideas so they can work for me and my students. Hopefully this slide show will be helpful to others as well. Obviously, not every idea will work for every classroom, (some were way above my 6th graders) but there are a wide variety of ideas and they can also be a great springboard for new ideas. I am embedding the slideshow below in case you are interested.

Thing # 21

2009-07-13T20:07:00.000-07:00

I had no idea Google offered so many great tools!! As I scanned the list I recognized several of them from this class or previous knowledge; however, there were many that were new to me. I explored a few more thoroughly and I already have a short list of tools that I will be going back to in my "spare" time! ha!

I worked with Google Calendar some because I immediately thought of several uses for this tool. Personally, it would be an effective way to keep up with our family's schedule and would also aid in planning family events because everyone could see each other's calendars. Professionally, this would be great just to keep up with meetings and classes for myself. Also, I instantly thought that Google Calendar would be absolutely excellent when we are scheduling grade level parent/teacher conferences. Since we departmentalize we each schedule conferences for our home room students but we all participate in each conference. It can become such a headache to call and schedule times only to realize that you have inadvertantly double-booked. This will be a tool that will make scheduling across our grade level so much more efficient.

I also explored Book Search. As a reading teacher, this tool thoroughly excites me! I am wishing I had known about it sooner. I love that you can preview the text before you purchase a book. This will definitely be useful to me when I am looking for texts to use in the classroom. I did find, however, that several books I searched did not allow you to look at the text. Yet, it could still be useful in seeing a summary of the book and reading reviews about it. Sometimes, though, the reviews aren't always of good quality. Nonetheless, I am still sure I will be able to utilize this tool.

Some of the tools that are still on my short list for exploring are Picasa and Sites. Sites looked like an easy, great way to create a classroom website, but I am not quite ready to take the plunge. I am still trying to decide if I want to implement a class blog or website. Decisions, decisions.... :)

Thing #20

2009-07-13T19:25:00.000-07:00

GoogleDocs is something I have only become familiar with in the last few months. I have found it very useful throughout this course to be able to keep track of my progress. Today, however, is the first time that I have actually created a document of my own using GoogleDocs. It was very easy! The format is so similar to Microsoft Word and Excel so I was already extremely familiar with the tools on the toolbar. It was really quite a seamless transition to using GoogleDocs today. I did find one thing that I was unhappy with as I was working and experimenting. I do not like that you cannot see margins and where your page actually stops in terms of printing. I created my whole word document and then clicked print preview. It was completely off! Because I couldn't tell where the page stopped my document took 2 full pages instead of 1. That was a bit frustrating. Is there a way to actually see the margins and where your page stops on GoogleDocs? Despite this setback I still think that GoogleDocs will be extremely beneficial to me professionally. I thought of several ways that I could use this collaboratively with my teammates already. I am in charge of doing the weekly newsletter for our grade level. I, of course, always want feedback and contributions from my team as well as extra sets of eyes proofreading for me. This always consisted of attaching in an email to my team or printing it out and waiting for feedback. GoogleDocs will be a much more effective way to share this task from now on. Also, the end of the year becomes quite crazy for our sixth grade activities. (I know this is the case for every grade level!) We have multiple events where we are coordinating parent volunteers, donations, and keeping track of permission slips, money paid, etc. GoogleDocs is going to be a great way for us to see as a whole grade level how we are doing and to keep each team member informed easily. I love that we can compile all the important info in one place. This would also work well for teachers or students working on a project together. They can work from different places but have all of the information in one place that everyone can easily access. I know that this is a thing I will be putting to good use next year!

Thing #19

2009-07-13T13:23:00.000-07:00

I found VoiceThread to be very intriguing. I think that there are definitely some real possibilities for using it both professionally and personally. This is the first time I have ever heard of VoiceThread and I really enjoyed exploring it. I appreciated the introductory VoiceThread example that simply explained how VoiceThread works and highlighted some of the features that are available. I like the pen feature that allows a commenter to circle a specific thing in the image or text. This would definitely be great for me as a teacher to make a specific comment on a student's work or writing. It would also be equally useful for other students who are making comments. I like that VoiceThread could be used to share students' writing or projects. One idea that I have for incorporating it into my class would be to have students complete a book review after finishing one for lit circles. Then other students can watch the reviews and get recommendations for their next reading choice. This could also be a great tool for peer editing on writing or giving feedback on a particular project. I liked the What is Bellwork? VoiceThread. This is a great idea for using focused work at the beginning of class. However, because of a lack of computer access for all students at once, this would not be a feasible option. I love the Multimedia Venn Diagram. This would be a great way for students to share learning at the end of a lesson. I will definitely be exploring different ways to use this "thing" in my class. I am especially excited to learn that you can comment on a VoiceThread by phone since I don't have a microphone.

Thing #18

2009-07-13T12:19:00.000-07:00

I confess that I have spent way too many hours working on just this one thing. Unfortunately it wasn't necessarily fun time that I spent. Now, don't get me wrong...you can get a lot of cheap entertainment on YouTube! There are many funny videos -- my frustration came when I was trying to find school videos to incorporate into lessons. I had trouble finding things that would work with concepts with which my students struggle. I found several videos that covered topics like context clues or main idea but they were extremely cheesy! 6th graders don't do cheesy!! :) I eventually found a couple that I think I can use. One is called Literature Circles. In this video, students narrate their experiences with lit circles and the roles they played. This would be great when I am introducing lit circles to my students. However, we don't necessarily use all of the same roles so it would need some tweaking. Maybe I can make a video with a group of students specially for our class. I also found a Digital Book Talk that introduces the 2009 Lonestar Books. This is going to definitely be something I will use with my kids to promote those books and solve those "I can't find anything I like to read..." problems! As for the how to video...I had no idea that you could find so many how to videos on such a multitude of topics. I chose this video called the Fastest Way to Tie a Tie EVER. This is one of those tasks I never learned...thankfully my husband never needs my help! So, who knows, maybe I can figure it out now!

I never even knew about TeacherTube until now! I like that all of the videos have educational purposes so there is less weeding through of videos that are completely not useful for the classroom. I will probably be spending more time exploring this site for videos in the future.

The last video I will leave you with is Michael Jordan vs. CEO John Rogers. I came across this and thought it was so funny! The last line at the end of the video was my absolute favorite, but you have to listen closely! Enjoy...

Thing #17

2009-07-09T16:10:00.000-07:00

Prior to beginning Thing #17, I had some knowledge of podcasts. My husband and I often download podcasts of sermons we want to listen to on our Ipods; however, I have never used podcasts in the classroom. I have to admit, for the sake of honesty, that I was a little disappointed with my podcast searches for this thing. I got really excited when I saw the podcast directories that were available, as I have only ever used iTunes. I tried several of the directories. One of the first ones I used was Education Podcast Network. I was completely confident that I would find some things here that could be used in my classroom. Unfortunately, I just found myself a bit disappointed. I found a couple of things that were interesting to me, but nothing I could just take right into my classroom. I subscribed to Just One More Book and Book Voyages. These are both sites that review and recommend children's books. Some of the books are definitely geared more for younger kids but some can crossover to older grades. I am a fan of using children's books to teach my sixth graders certain concepts and they seem to be, too!! Who doesn't love them? This will just expand my knowledge of books and will be a helpful resource when I am looking for books to use in class. I also tried the PodcastDirectory. I didn't find anything of value on this site for me. I really enjoyed exploring some of the educational podcasts. I LOVED the Jamestown Elementary School podcasts! I was fascinated by what the 2nd graders had done. These kids created podcasts to go along with a slideshow of famous Americans they studied. They were fabulous! This got the wheels turning in my head. My students could create podcasts to do book reviews or various other projects. So, while I was disappointed with my findings on the directories, I am not disappointed with the possibility of using podcasts in my class. I am sure with more time searching I can also find podcasts that will be of value to me.

Thing #16

2009-07-08T19:11:00.000-07:00

LibraryThing was quite fun! I will definitely be going back to spend more time there. It seems like a wonderful place for people who love to read and I, of course, do!!! I like that there were multiple ways to search and that there were book reviews for each book that I browsed. Once again, this can be as social of a site as you want to make it. I like that you can connect with people who have similar reading interests. There are ways to join online book clubs which is really kind of cool! I am definitely recommending this site to my bookaholic husband! :) (I believe the term is bibliophile -- those 6th grade vocabulary studies are paying off!)

I can see several potential uses for this site both personally and professionally. Some of those I have already touched on above. I like that you can catalogue your entire library and tag each book as you desire. Professionally, it would be a great way for colleagues to share resources. Staff members could also have an online book club -- it would cut out the hassle of fitting in an extra time to meet. I am also always exploring ways to find new reading material to use with my students. I think this will be an invaluable resource! Students could use this to explore reading choices. Our class could also do an online book club! I like the 50 Book Challenge...we could definitely incorporate this in class to encourage and energize students to read and share about their reading!

Thing #15

2009-07-08T14:58:00.000-07:00

Surprisingly, I had a whole lot of fun playing with the Sandbox wiki. I say surprisingly because I was terrified to begin experimenting with the wiki. I thought it would be much more difficult than it actually was to navigate. The Wikispaces Cheat Sheet was a great resource, but overall it was quite easy to use. I found the toolbar similar to the one on our blog posting. Everything went quite well and as I began adding the required information I realized I was having fun! I was excited to start adding images and some of the fun stuff we had already made in our class. That is where the fun came to a halt. I tried, unsuccessfully, to add the slideshow I created in Thing #10 to my wiki several times. It never appeared and I finally gave up. I thought, "Oh well, I will try that later...I will add some of the spell with Flickr creations I've made." That, too, resulted in several failed attempts. I followed the instructions on the cheat sheet and pasted my code into the appropriate box, but it didn't work out. Any suggestions?? I was able to add images saved on my computer without any trouble. The only thing that really annoyed me was how far down the Image Properties toolbar popped up. I didn't see it for several attempts because it was so far down. I think most of these things will be ironed out the more I practice with my wiki. All in all, I really enjoyed creating it and I think I could make one to use in my classroom now!

You can visit my wiki here.

Thing #14

2009-07-04T19:57:00.001-07:00

I was quite unsure about wikis prior to completing thing 14. I didn't really understand fully what they were and I was quite clueless as to their purpose. I appreciated thing 14 because it enlightened me! I now understand better what wikis are and how they can be used in the classroom. I enjoyed exploring the educational wikis and seeing many different classroom applications. I liked Room 15 wiki a lot. It is one I gravitated to instantly because it is used by a sixth grade classroom and since I teach sixth graders I wanted to see how their wiki worked. I loved the book reviews that are contributed by the teacher and students. It is a great springboard for students to share their thoughts about books they've read and to find good reads that are recommended by others. I also loved the homework section -- the teacher used podcasts to communicate with parents about assignments and expectations. This instantly takes out confusion that could come from reading directions rather than hearing them directly from the teacher's mouth. I think it is a great way to stay connected with parents. I liked the Go West wiki that was created by 3rd graders. It is all about the knowledge students have gained by studying the Oregon Trail. I specifically love how there are a variety of student products showcased on their wiki. Another wiki I enjoyed was the Kindergarten Counting Book. I love that this provides concrete, real world representations of numbers for students. The best part is that all of the pictures on the wiki are taken and contributed by kindergarteners!! I know if they can do it my sixth graders and I can too!! Maybe there is a wiki in our future...I am still pondering on how to implement one in my own class.

Thing #13

2009-07-02T15:00:00.000-07:00

Why am I just now learning of this?? That is the question I asked after reading about Delicious. This is literally the first time I have ever heard of Delicious and I became more and more excited as I read about what it does. The thought of having all of my bookmarks in one location makes my must-be organized self very happy! I was just lamenting the other day about how cluttered and messy my bookmarks had become! (I know...I am sounding a bit dramatic here!!) Delicious will be solving that problem for me just as soon as I have time to import all of my bookmarks. Not only do I love that they are all in one place, I also love that I can access them from anywhere, not just my home computer. This will definitely be beneficial!

Now, because Delicious is a social bookmarking site, I don't want to neglect the social aspect of it. I think that is another wonderful feature. This can be a great way to share resources with colleagues, even across grade levels. (There's that whole when you learn, I learn thing coming into play again.) Students could also use this when working on projects. They can share resources they have found in one central location. I think Delicious is quickly going to become one of my favorite things!

http://delicious.com/jenwest9

Thing #7a

2009-07-01T09:26:00.000-07:00

I found several interesting things as I was exploring my Google Reader again today. One of the feeds I subscribe to is the blog Free Technology for Teachers. I have really enjoyed getting the updates in my Google Reader. I do not read every update he posts, just the ones that really jump out at me. Each month he does a post of that month's most popular content. So, today, I read his post of June's Most Popular Content. In it he lists 10 links to websites that are great resources for teachers.

One of the links that I followed was entitled, Twelve Essentials for Technology Integration. It was actually one of the author's previous posts on his blog. (Free Technology for Teachers -- linked above) I thought that this post was absolutely fabulous!! In it he discussed how his school is going to a 1 to 1 Laptop program next year and he will be a resource on campus for his fellow teachers. So, he created a guide that will serve as a launching pad for teachers starting the program. It gives 12 different suggestions for using technology in practical ways in the classroom. Many of them, I am proud to say, we have already explored in 23 Things. Some of them were new to me. It was very informative and helpful and gave me some great ideas...I actually printed off a copy to keep for myself. (He gives permission to print and pass along as desired!) One of the neat things I learned was about the program Animoto, which I used for Thing #10. Teachers can create an account which allows them FREE access to create videos longer than 30 seconds. This is a service other customers have to pay for. Yippee!! I am so excited...I am going to go create that account right now!!

Thing # 12

2009-07-01T07:49:00.000-07:00

I chose to explore a few of the tools that were listed for this "thing". One of the ones that I am most excited about is called ToonDoo. This tool allows you to create your own cartoon strips. In my last post I discussed how I liked one of the comic strip makers, but that it wasn't something I would be able to share with my students because it had inappropriate material that was easily accessible. I asked for other suggestions, but with ToonDoo, I believe I found a solution to my problem. This site appears to be kid-friendly. I will, of course, do some more exploring before I set my students loose on this. This website has so many cool features...my students could unleash their creativity. One of the best things about it is that you don't have to be an artist to create a great looking comic strip. There are already many pre-made characters that you can tailor however you want to, as far as facial features, emotions, etc. Like I said in post #11, I often offer my students the option of creating a cartoon strip as a spelling activity and this tool will really help my students to do it well.

While exploring Toon Doo, I looked for social features like we were asked to do. I was so surprised at how many there were on this site! There is a comments feature, discussion forums, a help wiki that users can add to, and a message center where other users can send you messages. There is a feature that allows users to suggest tags for images available on the site. There are also many different contests that users can enter. In addition, there is a feature called "Fellow Follow" where you can become a follower of another user and be updated on the new cartoons they create. All of these features allow users to connect to a community if they so desire.

Thing #11

2009-06-30T14:30:00.001-07:00

Wow!! I had no idea there were so many image generators out there. I have never used any of these sites before but I really had fun exploring some of them and seeing how they work. This will be yet another thing that I will have to devote more time to. (Playing and experimenting, that is!) One of the things that I have here on my blog is this picture mosaic. I created it here. I think this site was my favorite of the ones I explored today. I chose to make my mosaic of pictures of the Golden Gate Bridge. San Francisco is one of my absolute favorite cities -- the scenery is magical! So, I just chose to search for pictures on Flickr that were tagged Golden Gate Bridge. Mosaic maker searched for the pictures and put it together for me. I love the way it turned out! This could be such a useful resource. It would be great to make mosaics of family pictures. I also thought of this as a great way to make an end of year keepsake for our sixth graders. Students could even use it to to create a product for projects. There are many possibilities!

Photo Credits:
1. beccamorrisphotography, 2. beccamorrisphotography, 3. beccamorrisphotography, 4. beccamorrisphotography, 5. beccamorrisphotography, 6. WEEGEE vs. Liu Kang, 7. Panaromic view of SFO from Golden Gate Bridge, 8. Golden Gate Bridge, 9. 2009-06-29-IMG_2797, 10. 2009-06-29-IMG_2798, 11. 2009-06-29-IMG_2796, 12. Golden Gate Bridge, 13. Golden Gate Bridge14. Not available15. Not available16. Not available

I used this site to create my word art. This is also a neat site! I like that you can type any word and change each letter until you find one you like. I remember many projects where I did this the "old school" way by cutting out letters in magazines. This is definitely much easier!! This could be used for projects personally, like scrapbooking, or professionally as well. Students could use this for projects and I also think this might be a fun spelling activity to incorporate as well.

Just for laughs, I created the comic at the top of my post here. This is something I will definitely be able to take back to my students. I often offer creating a comic strip as an option for spelling activities. This would be a fun way for students to do that; however, I do have a concern that some of the material that is offered is inappropriate. Any suggestions on how to incorporate this with my students in a way that is appropriate?? Is there a site like this for kids?

Thing #10

2009-06-30T13:37:00.000-07:00

I think that this has been the most fun "thing"so far!!! I really enjoyed creating a slide show and was so surprised at how easy it was to create and embed one in my blog. I have to admit I was a bit nervous when our introduction did not give us explicit instructions on how to embed. I thought it was going to be complicated and time-consuming and I was pleasantly surprised! As you can see, I chose to use the program Animoto to create my slide show, which is really more like a music video. I think it is a great concept and their website is so user-friendly. It was a breeze! My wheels are already turning about how valuable it is going to be to know how to use these tools, both personally and professionally. There are so many possible applications and using this program was so much better than creating a traditional slide show. Not only was the process easier, the product was so much better!

I will definitely be spending some time playing with the other programs I didn't use today, also. The slide show that I created includes pictures of our summer vacation spot this year. My husband and I will be going at the end of July and we are so excited! It looks absolutely beautiful and peaceful.

Picture credits:
Ritz-Carlton Sunrise Key Biscayne by kretyen
Live from Key Biscayne (MIA_040ra)by psoup216
Key Biscayne Beach by rwmsn
Ahead of the storm front - Key Biscayne by joiseyshowaa
Miami by ewilman

Thing #9

2009-06-29T16:08:00.000-07:00

Flickr was not brand new to me but I definitely learned much more about it today. It was nice to take the tour and become more familiar with all of the features Flickr has to offer. In one of the videos it talked about uploading all of your photos to Flickr for safekeeping in the event of a fire or a computer crash. This is a great idea!! I have often worried about losing all of our pictures in an unforeseen event and I love that Flickr offers peace of mind that my photos will be safe.

I think that there are probably many, many possibilities for using Flickr in the classroom. I looked at/scanned the articles that were linked for uses in the classroom. There were some really neat ideas, but it was also a bit of information overload. I could not process all of it at one time. It will be something that I will have to come back to and browse as time allows. I found David Jakes' site very interesting and helpful. I definitely liked his idea for illustrating poetry with Flickr images. I think this is definitely something I could incorporate into my poetry unit to help my students with the figurative language of poetry.

The image I chose for this post is a view of the hotel my husband and I will be staying at on our vacation. It is in Key Biscayne, Florida near Miami, but off of the mainland. It looks like a little bit of paradise to me!! :) I can't wait to be on the beach with a good book!!

Thing #8

2009-06-29T09:32:00.000-07:00

I found this "thing" very helpful. I will be the first to admit that I do not understand all of the copyright rules and regulations. I appreciated the information that helped to clear that up a bit. I never knew that as soon as you create a new product that you have an automatic copyright...I thought it was more complicated than that! I have often worried about whether I was breaking copyright laws. I know teachers joke about all ending up in "copyright jail" together!

I think that Creative Commons seems great! I love that it is a place that we can go to where we know that it is okay to use the products as long as we give due credit. This takes a lot of the pressure of copyright worries away instantly. I am excited to look into it more and see all of the things it has to offer. I know that it will be a great resource for lessons and could also be a useful tool for students. It also seems as if it will be a good way to teach my students about copyright and what is acceptable.

Thing #7

2009-06-26T14:14:00.000-07:00

Okay, I'll be honest, I am a lurker! I am one of those people who loves to read and explore blogs but I never comment. I am not sure why...maybe because I don't always feel as if I have something important to say, or maybe because I might say something that other people find stupid and then I'll feel silly. After reading the articles about commenting I am beginning to understand the importance of leaving comments. It helps to shape and continue the conversation the blogger has begun. After all, that really is usually the point of blogging. Otherwise we might as well all be talking to ourselves. I certainly understand why commenting would be important for our students when they blog. It gives them important feedback, encouragement, and fosters self-worth so I don't know why that wouldn't translate to us as adults, too!!

I do still have a lingering question about commenting that didn't seem to be answered in the articles we read. Should we comment back on our comments post to people who have left us a comment??

Thing #6

2009-06-26T12:40:00.000-07:00

I am really enjoying getting familiar with Google Reader. It is quite user-friendly and I just love how all of the information I want is right at my own fingertips in ONE place!!! That information is quickly piling up, by the way, so I know that I am going to have to be diligent about skimming it each day or every other day so it doesn't become excessive. Skimming is the important word there. I love that I don't have to read each piece in full...I just scan and then stop and give pieces that really catch my eye more time and attention.

While I was skimming there was one blog post in particular that beckoned me to read it!! That piece was titled, Teachers Without Borders off to Africa. I have heard of Doctors Without Borders, but I had no idea that there was an organization of Teachers Without Borders. This particular article was referring to the Canada affiliation; however, after reading I did some additional research and found the organization's home website. This is something that is so exciting to me. The organization partners with underdeveloped countries all over the world. Teachers volunteer their time and efforts to bring staff development, training, and technology classes to teachers in countries who desperately need it. It sounds like a fabulous organization. As teachers and people in the education field, I know our passion is to help children and families. We have the potential to positively impact lives and give students hope for a better future by equipping them with an education and that is why I chose this career. I love that this organization allows teachers to not just impact the lives of those students who are near us, but also students who are across the globe! This is definitely something I am going to keep on my radar.

Thing #5

2009-06-24T16:04:00.000-07:00

Well, I am now feeling a bit more savvy since I know what RSS means!! I think the Google Reader is fantastic!! I love that it is one place where you go to get all of the new information you want. I can already see how it could quickly become overwhelming if I have too many feeds going at once. I know I have to use discretion in linking feeds so that I don't get information overload.

While scanning my Google Reader, I found several articles that jumped out at me. One of those articles was titled, Making a Difference. The author's first few lines really drew me in and I knew I had to read the rest of the article. You can read it here. He was discussing why the cause of trying to incorporate more technology into our public schools is so worthwhile. He illustrated his point with a video of a young college student. You can see it here. You must watch this video to get the full picture of what the author is discussing.

I won't take the time to recap the video; however, I will say that it was the story of a boy who overcame great family struggles and chose not to drop out of high school because of the 1 to 1 Laptop program his school implemented. It is a very heartfelt story that further solidifies in my mind that technology can and will change the lives of our students when it is partnered with caring educators. It is going to draw in some of those learners who would otherwise fall through the cracks and drop out of school. We have to acknowledge this and equip our students to be successful in the 21st century.

Thing #4

2009-06-22T15:54:00.000-07:00

I really enjoyed exploring the blogs today. It was interesting to see the variety in topics and writers. I was very impressed with the 2nd and 3rd graders who were blogging. I know that if they do it with relative ease and great excitement, my 6th graders definitely could too! I found Patrick's blog so endearing. I thought it was so cool to see a student who was struggling and lacking self-confidence grow into someone who was confident and believed in himself. I know that this happened because of the people who took the time to invest in him and leave encouraging comments. I think that this is something I could employ with my own students. I can think of several students from this past year that would have greatly benefited from this. I am keeping that in mind for next year...

I also enjoyed reading Mark's blog on SSR, 2.0. I thought his idea of allowing his students to read blogs as SSR time was wonderful! I know that I have faced the challenge of antsy, disinterested students who had a really hard time digging into a book during SSR time. I think this is a great way of bringing variety to SSR time and one my students can really get excited about!

I found Dan's blog quite interesting as well. I think that blogging is a great way for educators to bounce ideas off of one another. It is a great forum for sharing new insights and discoveries. The style of blog writing seems really conversational, with commenting back and forth continuing the discussion. I think it can be beneficial for educators and students alike to construct meaning and new learning.

Thing #2

2009-06-22T10:13:00.000-07:00

Whew! Where do I start? I think that the possibilities for enhancing my teaching and the level of engagement and learning of my students with Web 2.0 are limitless!! There's just the matter of learning how to use all those technologies that I must first tackle! :) I'll just be honest...there are some things about Web 2.0 that I am familiar with already and there are some things that I just am absolutely clueless about! (wikis, RSS, the list goes on...)

I thought the video of the students with the wipe-off boards was quite powerful. I know that if I can tap into the technology my students are interested in, we could create some powerful learning. (This of course has to be coupled with a genuine connection and investment in each student.) In reading the article about the Web 2.0 Classroom, I have to admit, some of it seemed a little overwhelming. Yet, it also seemed really exciting. The students were engaged and EXCITED. They were directing their own learning in many aspects. Another thing that I thought was absolutely wonderful was the way parents were able to be involved. I am thinking now of beginning a blog for my parents to keep up with assignments and what students are learning in my class. I think that would be a great tool to build relationships with parents.

I am excited to continue learning more about Web 2.0 and how specifically I can incorporate it into my own classroom. I know that my list of ideas will grow as my learning continues.

Thing #1

2009-06-22T09:49:00.000-07:00

I am excited to be writing on my very own blog! After watching the 7 1/2 Habits of Highly Successful Lifelong Learners, I have reflected on the traits and how they rank in my own life. I definitely consider myself as a lifelong learner. I think that education is invaluable and empowering. I love to learn and am always wanting to find new ways to be a better teacher for my students. That is precisely why I enrolled in this course! :)

I think that the habit that is most resonant with me, and coincidentally, also the most important, is beginning with the end in mind. (I know it will be important when I get bogged down with the busyness of life.) I am very driven and goal oriented. I like to finish what I start! I know that by taking this course I will be able to learn about new technologies that I can use in my teaching which will make my students more excited and engaged next year.

The most challenging habit for me will probably be viewing problems as challenges. This is sometimes difficult for me...I tend to get frustrated when I can't figure something out and it seems more like a crisis than a challenge I can learn from. Inevitably, when learning new technology, I know there will be problems....I am hoping to be able to view them as challenges!