Thing # 7b

In reviewing the various articles that come though my Google Reader I found this http://www.onenewsnow.com/Legal/Default.aspx?id=1073716. This could have been a devastating decision but thankfully he can stay in the US. I hope he works hard to help those who are in the same situation he was in and that he grew up in. Stories like these or people who have escaped the threat of death and are granted asylum here in the US can be a great teaching opportunity for students. We can show students the history of the US and how we are a blessed nation that can help each other and others from around the world. It gives them the opportunity to expand their worldview and learn from history.

Thing #14

After exploring www.weebly.com I discovered www.education.weebly.com which is a site dedicated to teachers and schools. According to their site you can “easily create a classroom website & blog, manage your students' accounts, accept homework assignments online, [and] keep your parents up to date.” This is great especially for keeping parents up to date or to see more than their child or I can communicate. However, I do wonder who has daily or weekly internet access. We have 4 computers in our room but 3 of them will be used a majority of them throughout the day for Waterford. I could set aside 1 day a week that we can all write something or take turns writing something on the website and learn how to upload and post pictures. I could also use www.weebly.com for my own personal website if in the future I would need or want one.

Using www.30boxes.com I can feel better about my life being organized and knowing people’s birthdays. I enjoyed having a to do list but it gets crazy when I have so many papers in my purse and desk that I can easily lose it. By using www.30boxes.com I can stay more organized and possibly, just possibly, feel less stressed.

I think we could use www.timeglider.com sparingly in class for social studies. If we are studying about a particular person or event we can make a simple timeline. This is good for logical thinking in the brain.

Thing #13

Here is a custom postage stamp I made of my husband and I. We were in the top of the Arch in St. Louis (too bad you can't tell from the picture). I used http://www.imagechef.com and then went to photo frames. On their site you can make custom candy hearts, a sidewalk message and much more!



I wanted to do Spell with Flicker but the sight is not currently available.
Instead I made a comic from a photo I found on Flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jkunz/3400590998/, Jer_Kunz).



I would definitely use these to "spice" up my personal blog. However, with my students I could use this comic strip type app/mashup or others to peak their interest in a new topic.

I had no idea I too could make my own custom images. I thought it was only companies and people who paid for it. I was so excited when I learned I could do it too. I should have realized I could find a way to do it online for free since you can do so many things on the internet.

I enjoyed exploring these things I didn't know I could do for free!!

Thing #12

The following describes briefly how I would introduce some things we will learn in First Grade. I would pause to explain as each slide came across the screen.

Welcome to First Grade!! Here are some things we will be learning about:

In reading we will be sequencing things to know the order they go in (e.g. breakfast, school, lunch, go home).

Also in reading we will be visualizing (picturing images in our heads from books and stories).

We will also be comparing and contrasting (finding some things that are the same and different in books and life).

In math we will be adding and subtracting (adding is getting more and subtracting is taking away).

Also, in math we will be measuring things to see how long they are or how much space they take up or how much they can hold.

Photo Credits:

1. SEQUENCE of boy swinging into water (http://www.flickr.com/photos/skayne/1315552519/, blythe83)

2. VISUALIZATION of boy with eyes closed (http://www.flickr.com/photos/tourist_on_earth/3221993400/, tourist_on_earth)

3. COMPARE/CONTRAST (similarities/differences) of pumpkins (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mnicolem/3295249900/in/photostream/, MNicoleM)

4. MATH of girls near a chalkboard (http://www.flickr.com/photos/wwworks/3597217248/, woodleywonderworks)

5. MEASUREMENT by boy in a book (http://www.flickr.com/photos/goldberg/483891481/, Goldberg)

Making a slide show and trying to embed was not difficult or time consuming. The time consuming part came before when I was trying to find the picture that best portrayed my idea. I am really glad I learned how to do this because I had seen my friends use it in their personal blogs and now I can too!

Thing #11

I had no idea that Flickr was that relevant to me and could provide a lot of photos that were already labeled by CC. This is exciting and makes following the law so much easier. I also

was inspired by the lesson ideas and suggestions for using Flickr in the classroom. I never thought it was more than just people uploading pictures of their family, friends, and vacation. Clicking on pictures leads to new and more pictures! I didn’t choose a theme to get pictures for so I decided to find pictures of math/ELA topics we would cover this year. Here is a picture from Flickr that has a CC logo:

(http://www.flickr.com/photos/skayne/1315552519/, blythe83). This is a good example of sequence to show students and maybe (just maybe) they can connect to something (schema).

I have heard of mashups but I did not know what they were until today. I like sharing photos online but there is a concern that people can use it for the wrong purpose. For my personal use I made a jigsaw puzzle of my husband and I at his graduation. While exploring the mashups, I am not able to see how using these can be helpful for education. Maybe the Motivator or the Movie Poster (http://bighugelabs.com/) could be used educationally about a vocabulary word or book.

Thing #10

I really have never noticed the CC logo on websites but then again, I don’t notice things that very often. I really enjoyed learning about this as I majored in Legal Studies and worked in law firms before changing careers to education. I believe CC is HUGE in helping us (educators and others) so that we stay far from the reaches of any legal entanglements. I have used some things on the internet like clips from the web or videos from teachertube.com but as far as I know that is the purpose of the content. I share some content on the web, but usually it is my own created content (typed words or photos). Even after reviewing CC I am still not completely clear on all the legal things we can and cannot do. I plan to look into CC more so I know how to help communicate academically with my students (and with family and friends in my personal blog) through technology while staying out of legal trouble. The negatives for using CC are that it may protect you as much as they say it will from copyright infringement.

From OER Commons, I found an article that was helpful: http://www.learnnc.org/lp/pages/721. It reminded me to do things and gave me some new ideas that would be helpful in the classroom as far as organizational skills. This (http://www.learnnc.org/lp/pages/741) was also helpful in reminding and reassuring me that what I am doing is right in line with how I should organize my paperwork.

Thing #9

Honestly, I had a difficult time beginning to make my own wiki. I thought to myself that this is what it must feel like when someone is learning to use computer programs for the first time. However, once I got used to and played around with it, it was much easier to figure out. I figured it out by looking at what other people had done, the instructions and good ‘ole trial and error. I was confused by the “[toc]” because nothing seemed to be appearing. After about an hour or trying, using, working, and getting distracted, this is my end result: http://misd23things.wikispaces.com/WikiSticks.