I heart Google. I have always only used it for searching. Last week, I began using my iGoogle account I created so long ago. That is awesome. Now I have quotes on there, news headlines, and hungry turtles that I get to feed. The only disadvantage is now it takes a long time to lead, like msn.com, which is why I don't use that application.
I think it's my Google Reader that is slowing it down, but then I like that, so is it really so bad? I love the idea that I can subscribe to different blogs to know when they have written something new, and I no longer have to remember to go and search for their blog. I have some of my friends' blogs already subscribed. And as I am working on my internship project, I am finding all these authors that have blogs. It's getting to where I am disappointed when an author doesn't have a blog. It is becoming expected now, instead of just random.
Then I tested the Google Calendar. This is exciting. I have a smart phone, so this feature may or may not be something I really get into. But I called my sister, who was just complaining about not having a digital calendar. I like the texting feature. It sends a reminder directly to my phone. I also like the fact that I can put the information in pretty much however I care to, and it will sort it out and organize it accordingly. I don't have to remember hyphens and commas. It does it the same way every time. Cool.
Some of the others I have been using for ages. Like Google Earth. That is awesome. You can see my house on it. One day in class, I was showing the students Google Earth on the Promethean Board, which is really neat because you can use the pen to play with it and move the map. So we had fun pulling up everyone's houses (who wanted to show them) and playing with the program. Some of the kids had used it before, of course, but it was much more interesting on the Board.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Thing #6
I read and played with mashups according to this Thing. I love the idea of using it, although I am still a little confused about the definition of it. Would a mashup be a combination of my blog being posted on Facebook, or posting a link to a CNN news article, along with comments about the article that, once a friend on Facebook comments on your link, the comment would also be on the CNN website? As far as I can tell, this would be something great for a librarian to have on their page for student assistance. One thought I had is a general lesson I use for creative writing and new words for the basic colors when describing the physical appearance of something. The website http://www.krazydad.com/colrpickr/index.php?group=stock would be a great link to help the students relate better to this creative writing assignment to get visual images to help them better link their color to the assignment.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Flickr, Thing #5
Honestly, I'm not to enthused by this thing. I think if it were new to me, I might find it more exciting. I have been using Flickr or something like it for years. Facebook has a picture sharer, and Kodak. If Flickr interfaced with Facebook, that would be groovy. Imagine if something in your status sent a search to Flickr to show pictures or groups you might like to the side bar where other new stuff pops up. That would be awesome. This brings to mind a question for me though. What makes Web 2.0, 2.0? Is it because of the interfacing, interconnected possibilities this brings between the user and the internet? Maybe because Flickr seems so old hat to me that I don't connect it with things like the Google Reader and blogspot like I should. I do like the search mechanism, all though it is just as persnickety to use as any search engine. My search I used was LOC, so you can imagine the problems I had with that! I wanted actual pics of the LOC. Who knew I was so picky? I like the fact that it sorts the pics for you based on copyright status.
7 1/2 things (#2)
I think my strongest of the 7 Things is "Begin with a Goal in Mind." I live my life based on goals. Goals for the school year teaching - I want to have this percentage of students pass the TAKS, I want to have this percentage of students get a 3 on their writing, etc. Personal - I want to remember not to respond to students this way, etc. I basically have goals for every aspect of my life, big or small, plus long term and short term goals for each section.
What I feel like is my weakest is the 6th one, use technology to my advantage. I probably use it more than other teachers, but I am trying to move into librarian mode. In my classroom, I have a Promethean board and projector, my student computers, and a scanner, plus all the standard equipment. I don't use the internet to its full advantage. That's mainly a time issue. This year, I am going to try to use blogs more in my classroom. Every year, I faithfully try to add another component.
What I feel like is my weakest is the 6th one, use technology to my advantage. I probably use it more than other teachers, but I am trying to move into librarian mode. In my classroom, I have a Promethean board and projector, my student computers, and a scanner, plus all the standard equipment. I don't use the internet to its full advantage. That's mainly a time issue. This year, I am going to try to use blogs more in my classroom. Every year, I faithfully try to add another component.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
23 Things, #3
Apparently, I have had this web blog for more than two years. Little did I know...
After much frustration, I created my Avatar. Ain't she pretty! I haven't done any of the other stuff. This is my first blog. I am trying to connect it to my Facebook. I don't know how that's going to work out. I know a lot of people who do that. I just wish I had directions. I'm really good at following directions.
Sarah
After much frustration, I created my Avatar. Ain't she pretty! I haven't done any of the other stuff. This is my first blog. I am trying to connect it to my Facebook. I don't know how that's going to work out. I know a lot of people who do that. I just wish I had directions. I'm really good at following directions.
Sarah
Monday, March 26, 2007
technology in teacher development
Many teachers begin a new school year sitting in a crowded room staring at a Powerpoint presentation as an administrator drones on about dress code, tardy passes, and discipline referrals. While this information is important to beginning a new school year with a successful sweep of learning and minimal interruptions, the majority of teachers are unaware of technology that is available FOR FREE to savvy technology users.
At my site-based committee meeting last month, the principle asked if we had suggestions for possible teacher trainings for the start of the 2007-2008 school year. At the time, I had no suggestions to be made, but I recently came up with some interesting ideas. While planning lessons to try to make Shakespeare more interesting and memorable for my ESL students who were about to hear his name for the first time, I thought of various ways to include computers, the internet, and technology into my lessons. What I came up with is a new idea for a new generation.
Most students at my school learn how to do research projects the old fashioned way - reading dusty old books and citing one or two sentences on tiny note cards, all for the sake of learning a process so antiquated that anybody in the business world caught dead using it would fall flat on their face the next time a promotion came around. Most business connoisseurs never use paper and pencil when researching, preferring a notebook computer. Also, most business associates rarely look up facts and details in a book; instead they check the proper database or internet site that holds the correct information. If a boss wants a detailed report on the effectiveness of cutting the rubber in a product sold in North Dakota, an employee doesn't have time to constantly search through books for information that is more readily available on the internet.
The problem with all of this is most English teachers are not teaching research in the 21st century; instead they are teaching research from the 1950's. This includes experienced teachers as well as fresh-out-of-college teachers. I propose using one of our days at the beginning of the year to introduce research for tomorrow's society, on the internet.
I searched for a webquest for Shakespeare in order to introduce research to my students in a more relevant way. When I googled "Shakespeare Webquest," my search was answered in more sites that I could ever want. My students not only wrote their first research paper, but they learned how to scout the internet for valuable information to their preformulated questions, create an outline in Microsoft Word, and then turn their outline into a MLA-styled research paper, complete with a works cited page and relevant quotes. (All of these ideas could be covered in several staff trainings on new ways to teach research.) While some of my students are well acquainted with computers, the majority of my students live in households where computers claim no importance, or are simply unaffordable. I believe it is my job as their English teacher to help them overcome this illiteracy of their most important tool of communication. To try to jump this hurdle, I wouldn't allow my students to have paper and pen by the computers, forcing them to use the keyboard more often, thus helping them become more comfortable in front of the computer.
If this type of lesson idea would become more readily introduced into English classrooms across the state, our students in minority groups and homes of low socio economic status would become more computer literate and feel more comfortable working with computers, in hopes of being able to translate these skills into the workforce and out of the low-paying, dead-end jobs that most of my school's population end up in. By using the English teachers to promote this idea, students would see more of a use for computers than just playing games and gaining their computer credit. They could see a real, relevant use for computers for business, instead of pleasure.
At my site-based committee meeting last month, the principle asked if we had suggestions for possible teacher trainings for the start of the 2007-2008 school year. At the time, I had no suggestions to be made, but I recently came up with some interesting ideas. While planning lessons to try to make Shakespeare more interesting and memorable for my ESL students who were about to hear his name for the first time, I thought of various ways to include computers, the internet, and technology into my lessons. What I came up with is a new idea for a new generation.
Most students at my school learn how to do research projects the old fashioned way - reading dusty old books and citing one or two sentences on tiny note cards, all for the sake of learning a process so antiquated that anybody in the business world caught dead using it would fall flat on their face the next time a promotion came around. Most business connoisseurs never use paper and pencil when researching, preferring a notebook computer. Also, most business associates rarely look up facts and details in a book; instead they check the proper database or internet site that holds the correct information. If a boss wants a detailed report on the effectiveness of cutting the rubber in a product sold in North Dakota, an employee doesn't have time to constantly search through books for information that is more readily available on the internet.
The problem with all of this is most English teachers are not teaching research in the 21st century; instead they are teaching research from the 1950's. This includes experienced teachers as well as fresh-out-of-college teachers. I propose using one of our days at the beginning of the year to introduce research for tomorrow's society, on the internet.
I searched for a webquest for Shakespeare in order to introduce research to my students in a more relevant way. When I googled "Shakespeare Webquest," my search was answered in more sites that I could ever want. My students not only wrote their first research paper, but they learned how to scout the internet for valuable information to their preformulated questions, create an outline in Microsoft Word, and then turn their outline into a MLA-styled research paper, complete with a works cited page and relevant quotes. (All of these ideas could be covered in several staff trainings on new ways to teach research.) While some of my students are well acquainted with computers, the majority of my students live in households where computers claim no importance, or are simply unaffordable. I believe it is my job as their English teacher to help them overcome this illiteracy of their most important tool of communication. To try to jump this hurdle, I wouldn't allow my students to have paper and pen by the computers, forcing them to use the keyboard more often, thus helping them become more comfortable in front of the computer.
If this type of lesson idea would become more readily introduced into English classrooms across the state, our students in minority groups and homes of low socio economic status would become more computer literate and feel more comfortable working with computers, in hopes of being able to translate these skills into the workforce and out of the low-paying, dead-end jobs that most of my school's population end up in. By using the English teachers to promote this idea, students would see more of a use for computers than just playing games and gaining their computer credit. They could see a real, relevant use for computers for business, instead of pleasure.
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