Is it Time?

Is it time?

Yes, it is time.

.

...Time for new beginnings.

...Time for a new way of doing things.

...Time to do things the way I need to do them. (no guilt!)

...Time for some inspiration!

It is the start of another school year. I know that I start running out of time once the year starts, but this year I hope to organize myself better. I also hope to make some time to post to this blog. I am not interested in posting a bunch of babbling. I am, however, interested in posting quick tips and ideas that are quick reads- and easy to implement.

Join me on the journey to find time to do a few new things this year...

Just the beginning- Thing 23

Wohoo! Finally!
Wow, what an experience. My mind is racing as to the ways I can use this information in my classroom.
I can see a huge resource for me as a teacher. From writing in my blogs, embedding videos and pictures, I have found a new way to reach students as I teach.

There is a larger question that looms over me however.

This is not about me. It is about my students.

How can I take what I have learned and help my students to use this technology? What can I do in the classroom that will require them to use this technology? Can my district support me with this technology?

I HAVE to find ways to make my STUDENTS use this.

This program has showed me that there is so much more out there than I knew before. As my dad said in a recent email, "Nine years ago when I got a computer I got on the internet and thought I was "cool" and "with it". Now all of a sudden I feel left in the dust." I was feeling out in the dust as well. I am still a little dusty, but I hope I am a little more in tune with a few things going out on the web. I am still amazed by it all and I wonder how people keep up. I guess it comes down to what life is about. You pick what is important to you.

I plan to use most of what I learned in this class in my classroom. It is my hope to have some after-school workshops for parents and students on creating delicious accounts, how to use the wiki and the like. I plan to use my blog and hope to put in videos and pictures and links. I plan to have a few students run the wiki. I will definately be using Flikr in my classroom, and hope to engage my students into using it as well. I can't wait to find out how to make my own podcast. I would love for my science students to be able to pod the daily weather or my drama students to pod small skits that they have written. I also plan to look at each unit I teach and figure out a way to utlize technology so that my students are creating and responding.

In response as to how to keep up with Web 2.0, it may just come down to classes like this. I will keep my eyes open for new adventures. I plan to keep looking for good RSS feeds and podcasts.

My biggest "take-away" from all of this is that I am aware that there are programs out there that will guide me to create wonderful things. I do not have to be a know-it-all in programming. These Web tools are pretty simple to use and utilize and you can get big responses. My confidence has been boosted. I plan on keeping up with this blog- only changing it a bit to reflect a larger audience.

Technology changes daily. This constant evolution is hard to keep up with. I do not think that we have to. You can go crazy doing this. There is an analogy between new technologies and new recipes. Just like a good recipe- I will use the one I like until I see something different come along. I will try that out. If I like it, I will add it to my recipe book. If I do not, I will get rid of it and not worry about it. The same can be said of all of this technology.

Thank you for the opportunity to explore!

What the Wiki? Thing 22

I set up my classroom wiki. http://room214science.wikispaces.com/

I figured out how to make different pages. Most importantly, I figured out how to finally work that Spelling with Flikr correctly! When I made the heading to this page, I did it the old-fashioned way- by getting the pictures individually; putting them into a Paint program and saving. I felt like saying "DUH!" when I realized all I had to do is type in my word and the program brings it up for you. Wow- that is A LOT of time I can save now!

I have my wiki connected to my classroom blog. http://wehnerscience.blogspot.com/ I have the wiki listed on the blog. I am hoping to get the two to work together. Here is what I envision:

-The blog will mainly be mine. I will update it weekly or whenever I feel the need to write parents. I hope to post homework and things.
-The wiki will mainly be the space of the students. I hope to use this space for students to write about what we are doing in class; and to practice how to use one of these applications. I already have a page for our 1st unit of study, as well as a questions/answers page for my incoming 6th grade students.

I do wonder if I should keep with our district's Moodle site. To me, I may use this to just upload any papers and similar things. I do not find it as attractive and easy to use as I have the wiki and blog- although I think that I will work with it a bit more as time goes on to see how I could use this. I just wish the district had given us some instruction and help with how to use Moodle. I feel a little bit of a rebel still, going out and creating sites and such that are not part of the district umbrella. Hope I do not get rained on for doing this.

Wiki vs Blog... well, how I have broken it down is how I see the difference. A blog is more personal to me- something that I can write and control. A wiki is the space where my students can upkeep. Of course, this could be reversed, but this is how I am setting it up. The whole purpose of a wiki is to collaborate and work on something with others.

For now, I am just using this year as practice. I have no clue how I would ever monitor student use; and use it for grades. This is going to be a work in progress.

Home Stretch- Thing 21

Wikis.
To tell the truth, I didn't find any wikis for the classroom that really inspired me. Some of it just looked like so much work and I was wondering how it is all managed. How are the students trained on the wiki? Do all students have access? When do they do this? Does it take from classtime? I have SO many questions about it.

Here are a few hurdles for me in designing my own class wiki:
-Student privacy. I have to be careful to make sure no last names are posted and no pictures are posted if a child does not have permission. I also have to make sure students have permission to publish things on the web. Doing all of this will just take a little bit of time near the end of September. If I do have any students unable to do things, I would have to figure out alternatives.
-Time. The end of all things creative. I just do not see myself taking time out of instruction to go over how to use a wiki. Perhaps this 1st year I will get a few students in each class to play around with it and post things about their class.
Figuring in how to update it each week is a big time issue. It should be incorporated into the week. This will be something I will have to plan.
-My district. They are picky about "outside" websites and will not support me if something were to come of it. I have had my own website for years without issue; but it has always been in the back of my mind. To me, the positives outweigh the negatives. I have had so many positive comments from parents about the website and updates.

There are a few hurdles to jump. I am not going to bite off more than I can chew this 1st year. I would like to see how the blog and wiki can work together. Right now I have my classroom blog connected to my wiki and vice versa. I will update the blog; I will have students update the wiki. With the wiki, I can upload documents which will be helpful.

Last year I had an email list of parents. I would then send out a weekly email to all of them at the same time. I guess this year, I will have the blog with the same information- and it will be up to them to look at it. They could probably do an RSS feed to their email if they wanted to.

I am all for moving on and trying new things. I am excited about this. It is worth the time and effort- provided I do not overload myself the 1st year!

http://room214science.wikispaces.com/
http://wehnerscience.blogspot.com/

Thing 20

Podcasting-
I am in amazement that so many people are listening to things. I had no idea. I do not know where people find the time, but perhaps when they are listening to their mp3players, they are listening to more than just music. I just never thought of it.

I guess I am being picky now on what I subscribe to. Earlier in 23 Things, I just subscribed to a bunch of blogs, only to have to delete them later as I just didn't have time to read them and they were filling up my feed area. I still subscribe to a few. Now, with this podcasting, I really do not see me using it for any personal use. I would much rather read the material than listen to it. I am however, interested in how I could use this in the classroom and so I spent a few hours exploring different podcasts on ITunes that I could actually use in my class. What I found were that most are pretty long. It took me a while to find a podcast that was under 2 minutes and pertained to my content area. I plan to use this once a week with students for diversion/variety. What I am now trying to figure out is how I can subscribe to an RSS fee via my email at work. It doesn't look like I can and so this is getting frustrating. I guess I will have to subscribe through my google email. I am still exploring possibilities.

This is what is frustrating to so many educators- the tech issues that get in the way of doing what you want to do. I am tired of having a thousand different sites I have to go to in order to do things.

Right now I am subscribes to a Cousteau Society video-podcast that updates. It is less than 2 minutes long and is high interest. I found this on ITunes- which I found kind of easy, but thought that there were too many steps to get what I wanted. When I went on Podcast Alley, it was much easier to navigate. While the graphics were not there as they were in ITunes, it was much easier to just take a quick listen before you subscribe. I subscribed via my google reader to the Teacher 2.0 podcast. It is between 5-7 minutes in length- as close to perfect for me!

PodCasting- Thing 19

It seems like each site is a little different. A few sites I couldn't get work.

I am currently looking for podcasts I can use with my drama class- to help students speak clearer and use expression. We can even make our own podcasts of stories. My
6th grade drama class works on Reader's Theater, and this would be a great way for them to "perform" to others.

In science, students can podcast what we did in class each week. I could also put on a podcast to explain science concepts. In terms of using podcasts already made, I have to find some that I could use in my classroom. This NPR "Science Friday" is a start.



ScienceFriday.com has an area of the site dedicated to teachers. This is so cool because you pick the topic you are looking for. For instance, I picked Earth Science. From there, it gives you specific objectives to choose from. Once this is picked, the site directs you to a synopsis of the podcast with a link to it. How cool is that? I will definately be using this!

Sliding Away with Thing 18

Slideshare. This seems to be a pretty new site. I had a hard time finding slideshows of things I was interested in. Lots of specific slideshows for businesses or schools. This is definately a site where I plan on making my own presentation.

I could definately use this in my class. Lots of ways. I could use it for content and students can view at home when absent; I could use it for assessment; I could use it for presentations. Students could take pictures that we upload and create slideshows with.

I picked this show because it had a lot of the sites we have been on- along with a few more that I have yet to explore. I wanted to save these sites to check out later!

Twelve Essentials for Technology Integration

View more documents from Richard Byrne.

On My Own- Thing 17

Oooh! A shopping list of sites! Being the shopper that I am, I tried all of them! Here are my notes and concerns about each one:

Bubbl.us: I could definately use this in my drama and science classes. This provided easy access to a webbing tool. Recently we have had issues with "Inspiration" being installed correctly at school and this will eliminate my need for it AND be available for students at home. I need to play around with the site a little more. I am not sure on how to use the webbing tool correctly yet.

ZohoShow: This site is eerily similar to Google. It looks like Google in its design and the applications it presents. I do not see using this as I have google.

Remember the Milk and 30 boxes: Another organization tool. Again, the gmail calendar that I have in google does the same thing.

Library Thing: I put this on my Delicious account. I haven't figured out how to use this in my science classes or drama classes yet, but I can see telling my language arts colleagues about this site. I am also working on the library at a local private school and I was able to get onto the discussion boards with librarians around the country, so this is a possible resource for me.

TrailFire: What????

Knowtes: Really cool looking site; but I had a heck of a time trying to figure it out. Not very "newbie" friendly. I did send them a comment about this. I thought that this would be the one site that I could really get into, so was disappointed to find out my techno-challenged brain couldn't follow along.

I was excited to read a comment on the Thing 17 board about WordLearner. This is one site I will definately use with my classes. It was so easy to use and set up. I can make flashcards, puzzles and other games. I am really excited about the possibilities of this one!

Well, checking out these sites is like going clothes shopping. You try a lot on, but come home with just one or two pieces. This is perfectly fine and I am excited about "wearing" my new sites!

Google All The Way- Thing 16

Talk about cool! I get a headache of just thinking of all the ways I can use Google Docs in my personal and professional life. Here are some of those ideas that I came up with before I needed an aspirin:

Personal:
*I am on the Board at a private school. I am needing information from everyone on the board. No one has responded to my emails. I created a "form" in docs in which they just had to answer 3 simple questions. Google then puts this right into my document when they answer. I have a ready-to-go spreadsheet. How cool is that?

*I am also working on developing the library for said school. I can see using Google docs to create working lists and letters that I collaborate with the staff with.

Professional:
*Working with other colleagues on one item. This item can just be opened up and edited without other copies made of it. We do have something similar to this at work in which we can access a "shared" file, so I do not seeing using Google docs with my colleagues much.

*Working with colleagues in different schools/different states. Now here is where Google docs can come in handy. Unfortunately, I do not do any of this as of yet.

*Students: Last year I had some students who would submit a Word document file for me to read and grade. I would highlight parts and make comments. I then had to save it to my computer- reattach it in an email and then send it back to them for revision. What a pain. Google docs would eliminate that for me I believe.

*I could create graphs and questionaires and things for my students to work on. I see a lot of possibilities with this being a science teacher. Collecting and storing data, for example.

Not Sure About:
*While this tool is great, I do not think I would be able to have all of my students get their own google account. If everyone doesn't have an account, then the purpose of saving time is defeated.

Our district runs on Moodle and I am trying to understand that at the same time go through this class. I believe students can send me files, but I have yet to see if they are files that I can just edit without making new copies.

I will continue to explore Google. I am definately switching my main personal email to them as they have so much more to offer.

RSS again. Thing 15

I have yet to find my RSS feeds useful. This is excluding the blogs through 23 Things that I subscribe to- as I find these useful. I do not think that I will keep any of the other ones. I scan the titles and nothing is of interest or importance. I do keep tabs on my son's band tweets. If a title does not catch my interest within the time it takes me to read it, I delete it.

At this point, I have deleted all but a few. I did add the Free Press and am trying to add Delicious, but am having some issues.

In terms of finding RSS feeds, I think it all boils down to finding the right match. If I could find an RSS feed on Rick Wormeli, I would probably read everything he wrote. If I can find a feed on class management or teacher tips- I would subsribe. Same goes for recent science news that I could use in the classroom. I just haven't found these yet.

While my RSS days are dreary now, I do forsee using it in the future with the right match.

Thing 14 Delicious!

Here is my username in Delicious: Wehnerscience
I hope to use this site this year with my students. I am still exploring this site and still have many questions about it. I am used to putting things into folders, and am thinking that these "tags" become my new folders- so one item may be found in a variety of places. I am not sure I like that- I have to watch how I tag things I guess.

So now the big question looms- how can I use this in my teaching? Well, for students, I am not sure. I have always had a list of links for students to go to from my webpage, so I am trying to come up with a reason as to how this might be better. I guess the one thing Delicious can do is to create a space where I could have students add sites. I am still not convinced however that this is worth the time and effort. I will be interested to see what ideas others have. As for teachers, I definately see this worthwhile to use with my colleagues. We could set up one account for our own use to easily find those websites we all use. My principal always like to clog up our emails with worthwhile sites to read, now he could just post on Delicious.

My biggest excitement is that I can finally SAVE sites at school now! Before, the district would just wipe out anything I saved each night. I can also just have one list- no matter where I go. This by itself, increases productivity!

Tag, I'm it.. Thing 13

Hmm. Tagging. Not very familiar with it yet. I have not used it too much.
From what I understand, tags are a way to classify items. There are many ways to classify items. (I can attest to this because my 6th graders always classify living things into a million different groups- orange, 4 legs, no backbone,...you get the idea) Tagging just puts all of these possibilities on a subject so that there is a higher chance of you finding it when needed.

I question whether tagging will organize my resources. I prefer topics, but I guess a topic could be a tag as well as other words to describe the source. I am definitely not sure or clear about the social networking part of this yet.

Advantages: Whether I am at the top of my game; or having my 3pm slowdown, I can type in some word that relates to the topic I am looking for and I will have a high chance of getting something I need.

Disadvantages: Getting bogged down with a bunch of sources that are tagged very weakly if looking at sources from others. Having to weed through the silly stuff would be just a waste of time.

To think about: Are my tags logical? Do I have main tags listed and not frivolous ones?

Tag- you're it...

On a Roll with Thing 12

Whoa- When I get working, I get working! I am having fun with this! I definately see using widgets! For practice, I placed a quote widget below, but am not sure I would use this on my class site because I would not be sure of the content each day. This is definately something to think about when posting widgets on your blog.



I am getting comfy with the embedding code. Yea! I am excited as I belong to another online community. Many people have these widgets and pictures as a part of their posts. I do not because I just never understood it. Now I can join and show off my new skills!

I have found a widget called TickerFactory that does countdowns. Here is one for fun. (and yes, I am breaking our family rule of mentioning when school starts by doing this..so shh! don't tell my kids!)




I think relationships can be formed online just as good as being face-to-face. As in any relationship, it depends on how much time and effort you put into it! Now, with that said, I do not believe that students today are forming these deep types of relationships online with their friends. It becomes just a status to say how many "friends" you have on your facebook or myspace. You may not even know these people at all personally- and they may never ever comment on your page, but the numbers game is important when you are a teen. For teens, I think true relationships are ones that they have face-to-face that they then network online with. These pages are for quick, to-the-point comments, and are not a basis for forming deep relationships.

Students love these sites because being with their friends becomes a 24/7 thing for them! Isn't that what all teens want? Access to their friends 24/7? What is there not to like about that when you are a teen? (it is when you are my age you want some "alone" time...)

Speaking of which....

Commenting on Thing 11

All people want to be loved and validated for their ideas and thoughts. What better way to boost self-esteem by reading comments of others? Whether the comment is a simple thank you or an idea inspired by what was wrote, we all have this need to be heard. Blogs are a great way to do this.

There is this air of anticipation when you receive a comment. What will it say? Will it be a positive one or will someone write something negative? It is like getting a present. What will it be? I feel this same way when I get an email from parents during the school year-although for these emails, I unfortunately am not "anticipating" anything but requests, negative comments and/or more work. (isn't that sad? We all need to write more positive emails to our kid's teacher!) There is more or less an air of anxiety with these emails. lol.

Commenting creates a community- you feel a part of something. Getting no comments leaves you feeling a little bit left-out...the kid who is not picked for the team. It is interesting because I am going through this right now in a support group. I leave comments about this or that and write questions, but no one comments back to me. It is almost like the community has created its own little clique and I am not welcome. (this is a community of adults too!)

I believe that as teachers, we would have to watch for this if asking students to comment on others. Popularity would win out- some kids get more comments than others. One way to disapate this would be to assign kids certain students each time to comment on. This could be done randomly. In order to count for credit, students would have to follow some guidelines in their comment that I would go over with them. I could see how using comments would help students in their understanding of content in my class if I structure it correctly.

We all deserve to be treated with respect and be encouraged in our work!

Movie Time! Thing 10

Oh, I could see great possibilities here. Adding on a video that I want students to watch and reflect on at home. I could also use a video to give students an idea of what they could do if I were to give them a "make-a-video-about-this-topic" assignment. Here is one:

Students love this type of thing- and get really excited when they know we will be doing something similar in class. It is a great "hook" for a unit on chemical change.

Here is a video from SchoolTube. I could use this in my class to help reinforce physical/chemical change. I could then direct students to make their own video at home.



I used keevid to download this video on Pangaea: From here, I could ask a set of questions about what type of evidence do we have for Pangaea, based on the movie and what we have talked about in class.



I am wondering if I can do all of this in our school-supported "moodle" site. I have yet to explore how to use this. I am very interested in doing a classroom blog this year and have parents RSS feed into it- as well as students. I can see so many opportunities- it will be hard to pick out what to focus on!

U Crazy for You Tube? Thing 9

I actually already had an account at YouTube. I do not use it much as I do not even own a video recorder. I think I took a little video of my son playing in his band one night off my camera.



YouTube is restricted in my district. I would not be able to use this resource at the moment. I am working on finding a way for teacher access to it as I believe it could be a valuable resouce! There are all kinds of ways I could use YouTube in my science and drama class.



I can see why the district may want to filter it and this causes an issue. I am not sure I would be able to assign students to upload and/or watch videos from YouTube at home due to these restrictions. I could possibly look into downloading videos I find from home and then showing them in class. I found some great ones of Diet Coke/Mentos that I would like to use for our chemical change unit.



I was able to log into teachertube.com and schooltube.com with no problem. I have heard of these sites. I played around a bit and can see that I can find similar "topics" that I could use in my classroom.



With the use of teachertube and schooltube, I really do not see why I would have any use for YouTube, except to say that there might be a "better" video out there. YouTube is definately used by everyone. I could definately see working with students to create a drama video for use in our elementary schools. This would be a great way to utlize technology and to create a community amongst our schools.

My 3 cents....

Time flies...Thing 8

Wow, I can't believe I have been working on this all day. I went to just get a few "things" done in order to catch up....and here it is 4 hours later!

Thing 8 was interesting. I was able to figure out how to get my "banner" made of individual letters on Flikr. I still am unclear as to how to get the size right the first time and I need more instruction as to how to use paint. While it was interesting, I have yet to figure out how using this idea could help me in my teaching.

Big Labs was fun. I could see all kinds of possibilities with this. The "trading cards" will be the application I use the most in my classroom. I could use this in drama and in science. In drama, students can take pictures of themselves showing different emotions. I could assign a different emotion to each student. They then have to write a little about it. In science, the ideas are endless. Students could do "famoud scientists", find examples of things, take pictures of them doing something at home that we are studying... I will have to really think about how I could use this one.

The "motivational" poster could come in handy as well. In drama, students could do "public service announcement" posters. (be respectful, don't run,..) In science, students could explain some "big" picture item. (Matter; anything that takes up space and has mass)

I am sure I could think of other things- but again, the issues come down to time and equitable access to the technology.

Flikr in the Classroom-Thing 7

I can see countless opportunities to use Flikr in the classroom.

For the Teacher:
*As a discussion starter (see Thing 6)
*As an assessment (what type of rock is this,...)
*To explain what something looks like if we do not have it in the room
*To use as an inspiration for creative writing
*to take pictures/videos in the classroom of labs- and upload for use for absent students

For the Student:
*To create their own discussion starter-based on a certain criteria
*To take pictures at home about a certain topic- (show an example of "chemical weathering" around your house,...)
*To create group projects on a topic (different types of rocks; places,..)

Drama Teacher:
*To have students create pictures of different emotions
*To create videos/pics of stage directions
*To create skits to share

Problems:
*Making sure everyone has permission to publish and possibly have their pic on the Internet. Need to make sure all parental consent forms are in and signed appropriately. Managing those students who do not have access- giving them something else to do is an issue

*Knowing how to "size down" a picture. I still do not know how to do this.

*Not all students have cameras and/or access to the internet. Classroom only have 2 computers.
*COPYRIGHT ISSUES.

I will definately think about how to incorporate Flikr into my classroom this next year!

Photo Opportunities- Thing 6

Wow- I am busy today! Catching up on my "things". No kids = work time!

I picked this picture because I was trying to find something to start a discussion when I begin my "Biography of the Earth" unit. I found it interesting, because it uses a common everyday item (an egg) to show the Earth-something that my students can relate to. Many observations and inferences can come out of the discussion....

*The Earth is fragile

*There is more to the Earth than what we see on top

*The insides are hot

*There are "cracks" in the Earth

*The inside of the Earth looks like a sort of liquid.

I think I will definately use this as a unit introduction!!

I never thought of using a photo site to upload photos to use in my classroom. I have searched for "images" on google and such, but this is so much more better as it only gives me pictures- (and ones I can legally use at that!)

I can see using this for science and for my drama class. Wow, I have a lot of things to do before the start of school!

RSSing my day

RSS makes complete sense to me. It is just like having the news delivered to my house- only I get to specify what type of "news" to read. I really do not have any questions about it.

I use an RSS feed on my son's Twitter account for his band. This keeps me posted to what he is writing and what is going on. I suppose I will find other sites I can use for personal use- like the news or whatever. I have to explore this first.

Professionally, I hope to find some feeds that give me ideas and hints for things to do in my classroom in regards to classroom management, organization and lessons. So far, I have found one that just gives me one technology-in-the-classroom idea per day- I like that. Not too much to swallow in one gulp. I either like it and use it or delete it. If anyone would like the link, send me a note!

I would like to figure out a way to introduce this to my students..and if there is any way to monitor this. I am trying to figure out how subscribing to a feed would be useful to my students. Perhaps getting them to subscribe to our own classroom blog- but I know I have many students without internet access at home. Perhaps we could create a class "bloglines" account- and keep current on whatever topic we are studying... hmm... I am starting to get a glimmer of how I could possibly use it.

Taming the Time Sucker...

Thing 4- RSS...Really So Simple?

Hmmm.. I question where everyone is getting all this time to read all of these blogs. Did they pass out more time and I didn't get any??

Information overload- I just had a discussion with my fiance' about this last night. We were sitting on the webcam and I started doing a bunch of other things- things like emailing my son's school, checking my work email, updating a webpage, reading about a city I may travel to, finding recipes for my mom's visit next week.... I ended up with a huge headache! It was just too much stuff. Information overload. We reminisced about the days when there were no cell phones, no computers or internet, no microwave, no texting..and no voicemail...and when you had to get a hold of someone you called or sent a letter. It seemed like life went at a slower pace. You had to wait for a call back; you had to wait for a letter... nowadays we get impatient if we do not get our answer within a couple of minutes!

I am not a blog reader. I do not have issues with the "sheer volume" of blogs to keep track of. This has not (and will not) be an issue for me. I have many other things to do in my life. I can see though that for some people, having an RSS feed would put everything into one place for them and they can just skim the title and decide whether to read it or not. It cuts down on time.

So, how to handle creating so many RSS feeds to begin with? It is simple really. Make sure to only subscribe to those sites that are useful. What is it that you want out of a feed? For me, it is not useful to read about what people feel or think about something. I want ideas; I want new things to try. Cut out the the dirt; give me the rocks. (okay, my son's twitter feed on his band is an exception!)

QUALITY not QUANTITY. Pick only those you use. When you find you have too many, weed it out- like your clothes closet. Do this regularly. Those sites you do not "wear" for a month or two, get rid of them. You will feel better aftwerwards- and perhaps free up some more time!

Blog Fog- Thing 3

I came up with the title to this entry pretty quick. It just exemplifies my feelings right now. There are so many thoughts and ideas popping into my head and everything seems a little "foggy" right now and I yearn to get a clearer picture.

I could see myself using blogs to communicate with parents. I already do this on an email listserv, but this may be easier as parents would not have to log into their email.
I could also see connecting student blogs to this main page- so parents could read student blogs on learning and I could have an easy access to grade and comment. Perhaps having a monthly "blog" question that students would have to research the answer for; provide links and post by a certain time each month. I worry about what to do with those students who do not access to this type of thing at home. I work with only 2 computers in my classroom so I have not figured out how to work this into my classroom structure . Still thinking/problem-solving.

Perhaps I should think smaller- take baby steps this 1st year. Assign students different weeks to post to the classroom blog. Have a certain set of requirements that they would have to do. Provide time at lunch or after school if they do not have home access.

I tried doing a type of assignment online before where students had to post an answer to a question I provided. What I found that it was an absolute nightmare- It was a nightmare in terms of verifying who posted; in terms of dealing with students with no access at home; and with students who said they "posted" but there was nothing there. Too many parent notes and things. This has left a bad taste in my mouth for doing online work like this with large groups of students. I think I may follow my own advice above and start small....

Concerns? They are a-many!
-Time
-Resources (2 computer classroom; many students do not have online at home)
-Organization (for me so I do not go nuts!)
-Support

However, the concerns I have do not diminish my enthusiasm for wanting to try something new. I am always one to try new things- and to rethink what didn't work and try again. I am the type of teacher who likes to get my kids active and excited and getting dirty.... and so all of this is just a matter of problem-solving and being prepared!

Off to the wrong start already....Thing 1-2

I am so overwhelmed already! It seems that I missed what to do for Thing 1-2! In reading some blogs from others, I think I am to write about why I took this class and some comments about technology. I hope that the following will suffice!

It is funny to think that at one time I was considered the "go-to" person at my school in terms of technology questions. I have been using programs such as Powerpoint, Webquests, Collaboration projects, Inspiration, online tests, online grades, parent emails, webpages, online discussions for years. In reading today, I have learned that I am still living in the Stone Ages. Years ago, I was involved with a county-wide initiative to further technology in the classroom, but that fell to the wayside as there were always more "pressing concerns" at my school and in my classroom.

I am very nervous about learning what is all out there. I know I will end up being geeked and wanting to try all of it. I am nervous because I know that there are many obstacles in my way in order to do this. Time, Effort, Support, Proper technology, Time, Organization, Time... (did I mention time?) lol. What to give up in order to add this? It is similar to bringing in something new to your house. A good way to not get overwhelmed with "junk" is to get rid of one thing for everything one thing you bring into the house. What can I afford to get rid of in order to incorporate more of this? It is my hope that my journey through 23 Things will help answer that for me.

Here is to teaching old dogs new tricks!!