Thing #11 - Finding Good Feeds

                        I enjoyed searching around for blogs to add to my RSS reader. I think that Google Blog Search is the easiest method for me when finding feeds. I like that you can simply type in what you're searching for and it gives you a ton of blogs with that word in the subject. I found Technorati to be a little bit more confusing because of all the options they give you. I like the simpler versions where I just type in a word that I want and it then gives me a list to look through.

                  I used the tools in this lesson to locate newsfeeds and I used  my new Feedly account to search for newsfeeds. I am really happy with these tools that I have to find newsfeeds.

                  For instance I searched for Pre-K blogs. I think the most interesting or unusual feed that I found was the "virtual" pre-k site. I also found feeds to follow all about elementary schools, elementary education, cirriculum, and even activities to do with the children.

                 There seems to be newsfeeds for every topic imaginable, the amount of variation is astounishing.

THING #10 - RSS & Feedly

                        Hello my dear friends, I really did enjoy completing "thing #10" I was able to figure it out quickly and there were no computer glitches. I chose to sign up for feedly (and as you can see from the above picture) it was was a success! I found that they even let you customize your back ground if you want so I chose blue.

                  After signing up for feedly I subscribed to follow 5 different blogs, this way I will be notified when they update without having to go searching for them!

                  I like that RSS and newsreaders allow me to have all the websites and information I use daily in one organized page.

                   I will use this technology in my personal life by putting the pages that I visit most frequently on this feed, when they are updated or changed it will just pop up automatically. I think that I could use this in school by putting websites there that are work oriented. I could put educational journals, teacher websites, games, lesson ideas, and arts and crafts websites on one Feedly page.

                  Teachers can take advantage of this new technology by connecting with their peers. It would be a wonderful way to see what the other teachers in your school and grade level are doing. We could share ideas and suggestions quickly and efficiently.

                    As a teacher you need to guard your time, now that I have discovered feedly it would be a waste of time to have to click on every single persons individual blog site instead of just going straight to feedly and seeing what has been updated. 

THING #9

               I discovered this amazing website after searching the internet for about a solid hour. I could not get any of the image generators to work that I tried on the "23 Things blog site". Then I finally found this working AWESOME website that lets me copy the html address for free! YAY!

              I would use this in my classroom by writing the children a new "sign in the sky" every day. I could change the sign to let them know how the class's behavior as a whole is progressing throughout the day.


             I found these image generators on http://www.imagechef.com/ . The website was so simple to use! I love it! You simply click on the generator you want and then it creates it for you. There is no sign up or registration fee.

             I could make my students their own individual Miss. Lorrie's class ID badges! Children need to feel loved and accepted and I could make each student their own special ID card to know they were part of MY "club or family" for the whole year :)
The ID card also lets you change the back ground color so I could make it go with our school colors!

***THING #3***

            In the future I think that having a blog could be very beneficial in my teacher education program and future classroom.
         
             I think that it will be beneficial in my teacher education program because it will let me see how far I have come. I will be able to look back at the very beginning (right now) before I was even a certified teacher and see my idealistic goals. It can be a reality check because it holds the actual words that I have once thought and perceived teaching to be, and what I have experienced. I think that it will be good to look back and be reminded why I started this MAT program and what drew me into teaching when I do experience various hardships of teaching (be it a student that refuses to listen, disgruntled parents, or if its just as Alexander in the the wonderful children's books says "it was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.")                
                 I also think a blog could be fun to use in my future classroom. I was thinking perhaps I could start one with each new class and record various events with them during the year. I could let them write their own blogs on our class page so they could practice their writing skills in a fun way.

***THING #2***

               Honestly, I didn't really enjoy setting up my blog at first. I felt that it was not very user friendly. I couldn't figure out how to do the most simple task (return to my main editing page!!!) . However, now that it is up and running, and despite my glitches (SEE "THING #1) I do beleive I am on track and moving forward.  I had never had nor read anyone's blog before this blog.  
              
                    I think the avatar gadget is pretty funny, they don't offer many options for style, yet they thought it would be a good idea to put a see through shirt on there, just in case.  Yet, they leave out normal clothing options... haha, that made me chuckle. I tried to create an avatar that exemplified me. I have been told that I have a bright and bubbly personality that is enthusiastic towards living. I usually am smiling, I have blond hair, I like to wear blue jeans, and I do like bright shirts. (Just like my avatar). However,  I don't wear headbands (they seem to squeeze my head no matter how lose they are) but I thought for stylish purposes I would stick one on my avatars head because her head was so big and had a lot of extra space to decorate. And I suppose, since I don't have to worry about actually wearing it, I think it's cute.
            
                     I chose the name Miss. Lorrie's 23 things because the children at school can not pronounce my last name, and it is so large, I feel it's almost mean to make them struggle over it. Also, I don't really like the formality Mrs (insert last name) adds to the classroom environment. I want the students to feel like they can approach me and (in my opinion its hard to approach someone if you can't even say there name haha). 
            
              

*** (OOPS)*** THING #1

I will start off this blog by thanking my sweet new blog (and class) friend teddys23bearablethings. Last night as I was sitting by her in class she asked me why I had not blogged Thing 1,2,3 yet had completed 4-8. I said, "I thought we did 1-3 in class" she replied that we had not, we had only done a portion of 1-3 in class. Therefore, my blog grade is forever indebted to her :) Thank you for looking out for a fellow blogger!

My blog will now be out of order, I do apologize, but I can't find a way to switch them around since I have already posted the previous blogs. I will post blog Things # 1-3 and then the rest should be in order.

The assignment for thing #1 was to  Write about which of the lifelong learning habits are the easiest and hardest for you and why. Also, write about what you want to learn by playing with Web 2.0 tools and your experience in setting up the blog. Was it hard, easy? Describe your feelings as you worked on this.

                                The easiest lifelong learning habit for me is Habit number 2. Accept responsibility for your own learning. This is the easiest habit for me, by far in fact, I would say it is simply part of my nature.  I attribute this to growing up in a large family. I am the second oldest child (my brother bearing a mere 16 months my senior) and I am the oldest daughter. I had a lot of responsibility at a very young age. If I wanted to go and do something, I had to figure out my own way to get there, if I wanted to learn something, I had to figure out a way to learn it! I was self motivated all throughout school because by the very nature, my parents simply did not have the time to help me with my studies. I decided that I wanted to push myself and excel at school, my parents never had to ask me to do my homework, I just did. I was taught that my education was my responsibility if I wanted scholarships I was going to have to get the grades to earn them. 

                                I am honestly not sure what I think find the hardest learning habit for me is. If I had to chose I suppose I would say Habit 1 "Begin with the End in mind." I say this because I don't always have specific goals. I have over all goals. For instance, my education. I knew that I wanted to go to college therefore all through school I challenged myself with the most difficult courses so I could earn scholarships and attend college. However, once in college I wasn't really sure what job I actually wanted to do. As it turns out, I graduated with a double major from the University of Florida in Business Management and Psychology and still didn't have a specific job I wanted to do! Now 3 1/2 years later I'm married to a wonderful military man, and finally realized I want to be a teacher!

                             I want to learn how to keep and maintain an interesting and exciting blog with Web 2.0 tools that has a purpose and is fun. 

                            I thought setting up this blog was rather difficult, (especially since I realized I misunderstood the assignment for Things 1-3).  I became a little bit frustrated when I was trying to figure out how to get back to my main page that lets me edit posts. 

Thing #8 - MashUp

I used Flickr mashup to spell a word.. I chose SMILE :) because a smile bridges all languages!
              Honestly, this was the hardest task I have to complete on the blogsite. For some reason my blog page was being stubborn and not showing the SMILE pictures. After struggling and asking for assistance we were still hitting a dead end when a fellow blogger informed me, that even though we couldn't see it on my page it was indeed showing up.

                This could be fun to use in the classroom because I could turn any topic the students were studying into a world with pictures! We could discuss how every day objects can be looked at in multiple ways, that its just in someones perception if they see a light post of the letter I .

                 I think sharing photos online is a wonderful way to connect with people in other areas of the nation and even world. I love that we can interact with our friends, family, and even acquaintances through pictures! I really do think that "a picture says a thousands words" can often times be very true. When I look at someones pictures I feel that I get a better idea of who that person is and what makes them unique. I get a to actually see what types of animals, food, games, sports, and entertainment they enjoy.




            

Thing #7- Flickr

                     I have never used Flickr before and it was a new experience. I chose not to create an account at this time because I just created a Pintrest account the other day for one of my previous "things."
                   Pintrest seems to be very similar to Flickr. Flickr allows you to look up groups of pictures based on words. I browsed around Flickr for a bit and finally decided on picking this picture because it made me laugh when I read the caption. It's of two cats but one cat is "covering" the other cats mouth to "keep him from blabbing something incriminating." Haha the captions says "No sir, He didn't say anything!" ;) and the cat looks mischievous, in my opinion.

License

 All rights reserved by Tante Kaehte

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rimkusk59/9605732279/in/explore-2013-08-27/lightbox/

            
                I do not think I will use Flickr in my classroom because as I noted earlier, it's similar to pintrest, and I like Pintrest more. I like that more people that I know use Pintrest so it makes it more personal to me. As noted earlier, it is relatively similar to Flickr. 
             
               I do not mind having my photos displayed in a public space, especially since I have the option of marking specific photos as private. I do not have anything to hide from people and am not embarrassed by the people I associate with and the activities I participate in. Therefore if  my life happens to be captured on film, that is ok with me. I strive to live an authentic life that displays my character across all fronts. 
            
               Of course, everyone has those embarrassing pictures that make one reflect, "My land, do I really look like that? Yikes, I'm shocked anyone hangs out with me!" but on a whole I have decided just to laugh at the unflattering picture (where my eyes are half closed in a blink) because most of the time, whoever so kindly posted that picture of you, looks fabulous in it and they really just wanted their own picture up (becuase they look so awesome) and you just happened to be the unlucky chap that was standing next to them haha. 

Thing #6

http://pinterest.com/?ff=1
                      I selected to explore pinterest. I absolutely love the site! I have already had a few laughs and gathered some good ideas to bring into the classroom once I begin teaching. I like that the Pinterest makes it so simple to see others ideas and photos. I like that it is not just photos but also allows the people to write something short along with the picture if they want.

                   I found the sites useful features to be in the organization of pictures, crafts, and ideas that are broken into categories. Once you decide what category you may want to "follow" for instance I selected the "education" category you are then given the opportunity to fine tune the broad education category specifically. I chose Elementary Education boards to follow since I will be teaching in the elementary schools. I also decided to follow "humor" because laughter makes the heart merry

                 I could see Pinterest being used in the schools when teachers want to find motivational pictures, quotes, arts and craft projects, and room decor.

THING #5 School 2.0

                         School 2.0 is quickly becoming an integral part in the education system of students at all ages. School 2.0 allows for people at all ages to truly be life long learners. With the availability of interactive free online courses, internet databases, search engines, discussion boards, blog spots, and the ability to curtail education to specific topics that truly interest the student, School 2.0 has arrived and will continue to expand.
                         
                         In my opinion School 2.0 means a form of "interactive combination learning." This being said, I will explain myself a little bit more. This type of school and learning will never occur solely in the classroom but takes place everywhere. Students and teachers now have the availability to interact and share information virtually anywhere. Children are growing up in a generation that is extremely technologically savvy. They are well acquainted and familiar with Google, Wikipedia, social networking sites, and many other search engines and databases at a very young age. With information available at the tips of their fingers, teachers are going to have to teach them how to wade through this information overload to come away with factual information.
                 
                  School 2.0 is also very interactive and allows people to bring in their own personal experiences and thoughts to a wide array of topics. The wonderful part about this is that it allows people to connect, collaborate, and work as a team from everywhere in the world with the unified goal of furthering their education on a specific topic. School 2.0 can use YouTube, Wikipedia, videos, mp3 files, educational blog spots, and tons of other interactive technology to really make learning come to life for the students.
               
                  The question was posed, "what does School 2.0 mean for schools of the future?" To me, this means that School 2.0 is this generations future. Using state of the art technologies in our in classroom school systems is paramount. We will have to educate our students how to decipher and wade through the internet information overload. We will have the privilege of teaching and showing the children how to actively engage in their own education. This means that we need to show them that not only will they be learning in classroom with their fellow peers, but they will be life long learners that need to fully engage in their education inside and outside of the classroom. 

THING #4

Thing #4
                   I have never had a blog before, I suppose due to the same reason I never kept a journal, I didn't want anyone reading it but me (and trust me, in a family of 9 no journal is a secret). To actually put words to paper and write your own personal thoughts and opinions is opening yourself up to criticism and perhaps, even unwanted judgments. Anyway, here is my first blog.
                     Commenting on others blogs helps to create a sense of community and interaction because you are showing the person who wrote the blog that you actually read what they had to say, and their voice was heard! This gives the blogger and the person responding a chance to exchange ideas and thoughts on a matter.
                     I thought it was important that the readings mentioned commenting on the bloggers site encourages the blogger to keep writing! I liked that it explained that when the blogger receives feedback they then know that their topic has hit a cord with their audience and they can continue writing about that topic or they could open the discussion up and see what similar topics arise. I was glad to see that the readings addressed appropriate and inappropriate ways to communicate on a blog site. I was amused by the tips on "how to get more comments on your blog" but I do think the article made many valid points. I especially like that they suggested leaving open ended questions in order to receive more feedback on your blog.
                           The blogs that I have chosen to follow are:
teddys23bearablethings http://teddys23bearablethings.blogspot.com/

mrsks23things http://mrsk23things.blogspot.com/

theresarogersblog.blogspot.com  http://theresarogersblog.blogspot.com/

23thingsingovernment http://23thingsingovernment.blogspot.com/

and I need to find one more blogger :) but since I'm new at this, I'm not sure how to go about doing that yet.
I selected these individuals because they are all in  this class (EDUC 5540) as well as my EDUC 5500 class. They also just so happened to be sitting in the back row with me and I requested their blogger information. I look forward to getting to know them better as I follow their blogs!

                    So, I have figured out how to find bloggers. The other two blogs that I have chosen to follow are:
http://4theloveofteaching.blogspot.com/
I chose her blog because she is already a teacher and she very obviously LOVES teaching! She has posted lesson plans and various crafts to do with the students. I also like that she has pictures to look at.

http://mscassidysclass.edublogs.org/ 
I chose this blog as well because I like that she lets her kids get involved in the blog. I think this is a great idea and may even chose to do this with my class in the future. This empowers the students by giving them the ability to have their voices heard around the world!

                        I commented on teddys23bearablethings because I was moved by her life story. I think its very admirable that she has chosen to be a lifelong learner and never let any obstacle get in her way.  

                       I commented on mrsks23things about the virtual schools because I agree that we should embrace the new technology that is being developed for education. Like Mrs.K I think that technology will enable us to offer the students a better education.