Thing # 23

Creative Commons or Final Thoughts on 23 Things

    I was gotten again here... and because its just the type of guy I am I must comment on both of these subjects.

     Creative Commons is a web site that gives out various copy-write licenses to individuals that would like to have their originals ideas protected. It is an awesome idea... the web site and the idea of doing it. It makes it a lot easier to share information on the web. Rights to originality is something that I will bestow upon my students.  The site is easy to use and navigate around.

   23 Things is an invaluable experience <PERIOD>, but since this is for a class and I know that wont cut it... let me explain. Before 23 Things, and my instructional technology class, I often left technology alone... it confused me sometimes and I often ended up more frustrated than when I began. Now, I am a lot more confident, and I have realized that yes there were things I didn't like, but there were many things I did. These tools, skills, and experiences will be shared for as long as my blog stands and forever in those individuals lives that cross paths with mine. LOOK OUT!!! Real blogging here I come... in no way does this mean that 23 Things was not real blogging, for it was truly a real experience that I am glad I had. Happy Readings:), and don't forget to comment to make the world go 'round.

Thing # 22

PODCASTS UGHHH...

    Wow... ever thought you had something down and then BAM!!! that something let's you know real quick that you never did have that something in check. Well, that something for me is podcasts... and I may seriously need some help. Not only did I get frustrated because I couldn't figure out why I couldn't hear anything... I was stumped for several minutes by this colorful event. Now, my wife may be the only one that knows just how mad I can get at technology, and I am sure she was glad to be out doing something, but boy did I get hot. One couldn't even call what came out of my mouth "bad words"... is more just growling gibberish ... GRRR!!!!

 So needless to say I did not listen to anything, and I do not believe that I will be sharing my ignorance with a future class. Maybe I got to used to listening to live streams and thought that's what an podcast was. All the directories were easy to use to find specific things it was just the whole need for some audio input thing that through me off. Good luck and good riddance of "Thing 22".

-this was definitely one of those experiences I am glad to be done with, and just in case yes speakers were plugged in and on : )

Thing # 21

Animoto

      Animoto is not a Japanese Steak House, it is a tool that automatically produces unique video pieces from personalized photos. I will admit it was fun... probably spent a bit too much time on this one, but it was a good time. What a great way to tell a picture story for a class. The process was very easy and... very addicting:) All I had to do was upload pictures from my computer. Now, since my wife is the one that usually messes with pictures on the computer (job and hobby) I did not feel like playing through those so... I used my go go gadget brain and uploaded them from my facebook account to my desktop and then downloaded them to Animoto from the desktop. Easy, peasy<----( it will be interesting to see how many people know where this reference came from). Anyways, once the pictures are decided on, music is the next decision to be made. Easy too. Music... good music... good popular music is provided by Animoto right there. A very quick and very easy process. The finalizing kind of threw me off; the computer screen read "click here"... I clicked, a few moments later my video clip was playing. I couldn't believe that it was that easy. Now, yes... only being ablt to play with 30 seconds was kind of a let down, but this a tool I will definitely look into using for the classroom. Enjoy my video easily peasily made using Animoto; the direct link to share this on my blog was a huge bonus too.

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

Thing # 20

YouTube as an Escape or Education

     YouTube is a great way to find video information. There is nothing really negative to say about how YouTube is ran. Featured videos are on the homepage, and anything else is a search and click away. I decided to search for the comedian Josh Blue. Josh Blue is a stand up comedian that has Cerebral Palsy; he is a huge disability advocate. Most of the material that Blue uses stems from his disability; his interaction with what he calls "condescending people"; he explains in a comic twist how his disability has effected his life. A Josh Blue clip is a prime example of how YouTube can be used as an escape or as education. If one just wants to laugh then he/she can enjoy Josh Blue for that reason, and if one wants to be educational this is a great way to introduce the disability Cerebral Palsy to a group (classroom) of individuals. YouTube is already something I use on a regular basis for both personal entertainment and for educational purposes, and will continue to do so. One can search for anything and become bombarded with a plethora of videos pertaining to only what was searched for. I picked the clip below because laughter is best enjoyed shared. Sit back a listen to life from the perspective of Josh Blue.

Thing # 19

Social Networking Beyond Facebook and Myspace

     Does Myspace and Facebook rule social networking??? Yes, but there are many other options out there and if one cannot find a social network that he/she likes than he/she may create his/her own social networking site with specifications built only to his/her standards. Social networking has become just as important as going to work and providing a living for some, and others do not do it at all. The truth is the world is moving to a form of socialization which is almost entirelyy online, and learning how to navigate through the online jungle is a huge benefit to any member of society... especially a teacher; which is why I am a member of the pre-service and in-service social networking site TeacherPop which is a place where teachers can collaborate and share ideas.

                                                       got teacherpop?

(The S on my chest)

    
     I am already a member of a couple social networking sites; myspace, facebook, teacherpop, and pretty soon maybe the site Gather. I feel that I may already be stretching the social networking a bit; sometimes I feel that I have no more time in a day to socialize on any other site without giving up physical interaction which is something I am not willing to do, but Gather did catch my interest. The main reason why gather caught my eye is because it is described as an outlet for National Public Radio listeners like myself. I also like how the site asks questions that may be debated, a way of almost forcing social interaction online. The key to social networking is the interaction; leave comments... no one knows if his/her work/ideas/posts/blogs is being looked at if no one leaves comments. I really liked playing around on Gather, and will probably end up completely swapping my Myspace account for a Gather account.

Thing # 18

Facebook and Myspace

     I have both a facebook and a myspace. I was actually surprised to see that myspace is more popular than facebook. I use my facebook account a lot more than my myspace account. I enjoy "facebooking", what the action of being on facebook is sometimes referred to as, mainly because I no longer live in the town where I grew up, or in the same town as my immediate family so it is nice and easy to keep up with them via facebook or myspace. Facebook also has a plethora of games, or extras one can fill his/her time with; it is an easier and more entertaining site to use. For a teacher to understand the what and how a social networking page works is highly valuable if used the right way. A teacher does not need to have posted too many too personal photos and/or information posted to his/her facebook/myspace page knowing that a student may access it which usually happens; this is another way in which knowing a social networking page could prove to be valuable.A teacher may seem "cool", or "with it" if he/she is ale to talk the talk of the student which just so happens to include a heavy interest in social networking. A teachers social networking page should be strictly business or strictly set to private so that not anyone in society may take a look into his/her life. There already are school sites for social networking; through my experiences these have mainly been found at the college level (hence APSU involvement), but I don not know how they would workout in elementary, middle, and high schools. A cause for concern may be that not every student has Internet access outside of the school, but a teacher could use such a site for posting homework assignments, getting feedback from the students via messaging, etc. Come find and friend me on facebook, but play nice or you may be de-friended.

Thing # 17

Del.icio.us

     Del.icio.us is social tagging network that allows one to keep things of interest in one nice little spot; on his/her Del.icio.us page. When one is on a page he/she likes he/she can tag the page and share it to his/her Del.icio.us account. Comments can also be left; so using such a program could be highly beneficial to teachers and their peers. This way a teacher may be able to share a link to any specific information and write an analytical review for whatever it is that he/she reads. This way other teachers can see if something is even worth their time. Same concept could work with a summer reading program too; the students share readings and make comments on them. An individual (student or teacher) could also use this tool to benefit while doing research. Researchers can use common tags or highly tagged articles to find high points of interest; this way research information is always up to date with current events. Del.icio.us seems to be a beneficial tool for research and this is probably where I will use the tool most often. There is a lot of things out there on the web that can collect all the information an individual needs, and adding one more would just confuse me, but none-the-less give it a try; happy searching.

Thing # 16

     I decided to go with iGoogle because it was most appealing and truthfully the easiest. I like how one is able to customize a web site that fits their needs. I had fun playing with and adding different widgets until the page was to my specifications, it passed all of them. It is fun has only information I care about, and from it some can see that I am a little bit business, a little bit fun, and a Green Bay fan. Yes, I will make this my home page. Now, when I am in a hurry I wont have to click through 20 million different things to get the two cents of sometimes needless information that I feel is all too important to go on without knowing.
     I have already been using an online calendar to keep me updated on when I have appointments or when school projects are due. What I like best about the calendar is that is synced to my phone so I can add and delete things as needed on the go, or I can sit down at a computer input the needed information and my phone will alarm me at the time entered on the computer. Great, great tool to use. This method of keeping a schedule is also highly preferred by speech/language pathologists.
     Online to-do-lists may be a good idea for long trips or field trips for the classroom, but on the fly I would rather just jot down my own to-do-list instead of having to log on to a computer and print it out. However, the calendar and an iGoogle class page are great ways to manage a classroom, and a great way for the teacher and student alike to keep up with the schedule. This way students are never caught off guard and teacher will have more time to actually teach.

Thing # 15

WIKI's

This little youtube clip gave me some great ideas on how a wiki could be used in the classroom. This could be exactly how a class puts together a list for who's bringing what to the winter party, or it could also be used for a class project and/or field trip. This past summer I planned a military reunion, and boy were the e-mails back and forth forever long and confusing, At one point I had really wished that I had not of gotten the idea to have a reunion, but none-the-less the reunion was a blast and next time I WILL be creating a WIKI to coordinate with everyone interested. I really like that when the content is changed it shows one who changed it.
 I tried to edit the the 23Things wiki, but it would not let me... even after I created the account. Any help with that will be much appreciated:)

Thing # 14

I decided to set up a mind map account with mindmeister. The account set-up was as easy as changing the face of a Mr. Potato Head, and not time consuming at all. I attempted to use mindmeister with a project in which I will be creating a podcast explaining the five different subtypes found in the Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD); the results are as follows:The building of the mind map was very easy and this will also help me conduct my podcast for a later assignment. I really enjoyed making the mind map; it is a great way to brainstorm when one is stuck with nothing but blanks. I decided to share this on my blog because this is such a great way to generate thoughts. The downside as one can tell I could not for the life of me figure out how to get a full sized view mind map displayed on the blog. I spent enough frustrating minutes trying to figure this one out; so, any help will be much appreciated with this aspect. A link to the web page is as follows for a full viewing of my podcast mind map on the Autism Spectrum Disorders: http://www.mindmeister.com/maps/show/65672858 . I decided to create a flowchart using Giffy. I did not find the experience nearly as easy, or as enjoyable as working with mindmeister. None the less though I have seen flowcharts used effectively in the classroom before. I have added a flowchart idea for the classroom. The teacher could either handout the flowchart by means of printed copies, or he/she could project it on a screen. This way the students know exactly what is to be down and when it is to be done.

Thing # 13

ZOHO To the Rescue

     ZOHO Writer... wow, wish I would have known about this one oh about six semesters ago. For the longest time I e-mailed anything of importance back and forth to myself. Now with the use of this great information saving cloud-in-the-sky program I will no longer have to use the time consuming process of e-mailing myself. The program is just as universal as any word document I have done, and now I also do not have to worry about my documents not transferring over to another computer; ZOHO Writer allows me to bring up any document on any computer anytime, and if I am unable to get on-line I can now look and work on my documents to have them synced up at a later time off-line. The option of saving multiple documents is awesome for experimenting with new tools without fear of losing the original. The downside for me is the tool-bar; this may just take some time getting used to, but I am not all that fond of having to keep hitting drop boxes. Other than that the pros for ZOHO Writer definitely out weigh the cons. One is also able to post his/her document publicly which hold an opportunity for feedback. What a great idea, and I am glad that I am now aware of it.

Thing # 12

     I have had a Google account for a while, however, I have not been using the account to its maximal potential. I played around with Google Alerts and really liked the easiness of navigating around. I decided to have alerts sent on the Green Bay Packers as an example of how Google Alerts can be used for leisure news and I set an alert up for classroom management to be an example of how Google Alerts can be used in an educational standing for more professional news; any type of profession could benefit from having updated news that is specific to the individual sent to him/her on a regular basis. Google Alerts can also be used for a class activity; a class could get involved in topics in their community and then follow updates using a Google Alert that would provide them with updates. In setting up an alert one should be careful of how often an alert is going to be sent. At first I had the Green Bay Packers set up to update every time there was new news, which on a Sunday with my e-mail being synced to my phone caused my phone to go slightly psychotic. I decided to change the Green Bay Packer updates to weekly; one must decide how often he/she wants to check their phone if their email is linked to their phone. I already use Google calendar to keep up with important dates, but setting up a classroom calendar for parents and students to follow is a great way to get Web 2.0 activities into the classroom.
     Also check out the iGoogle page I created with my account. I have used Google for a while now, and for many different things; I never knew that all the different online gadgets I used could be interconnected. It is so great to be able to go to one page an view what is important and specific to me and my life. Out of playing with these all I would view the iGoogle as the one that would be least beneficial educationally speaking and the calendar would have to be the most beneficial.

Thing # 11

     I did not like using Google blog search at all. When searching way to many irrelevant choices were displayed. One would be better off using regular Google search. I think the problem lies within how the data base searches for new blogs; any word that happens to be in the title of a blog shows up regardless of if it is actually relevant to whatever it is that one is searching for.
     Topix was really convenient and easy to use. Right after viewing the web-site I was able to find something I wanted to RSS; Clarksville News. As a High School football coach it is nice to be able to see what is going on in the other area High School football programs with ease. This is a highly valuable tool that any coach should use. A teacher may also be able to find something similar to this; he/she could possibly find a link to a collaboration web-site for area teachers that could be used to brain storm with more than same school professionals and reach out to an entire community.
     Syndic8 was easy to use as well. To get to the site I wanted to follow a couple more steps were involved, but none-the-less the process was still only a couple of clicks. The site I decided to follow using Syndic8 is Moreover Technologies - NFL: Green Bay Packers news because 1) it was very easy to do (all I had to do was follow the links), and 2) I love the Green Bay Packers so what better way to keep up with them. Now, I will have a constant feed of Packer news updated every fifteen minutes. I will now know some things even before the details are expressed to the public (way cool!!!)
     When using Technorati I found a interesting feed that will keep an eye on AskSocratesNow. The post  "Can Reflecting On Death Lead to a Better Life?"    gave me the opportunity to reason with the way I think about life.I love to read things that make me think deeply about who I am and what I am about. The process of finding the feed did take a little hunting, but in the end was worth the find.
     Another way which I found to be very easy to find other links to follow was to look at who I already followed and see who they followed. The process was a bit time consuming, but most every one I read was worth reading and of interest to me because I followed the link of a blog that I was already interested in. I decided to RSS the blog Journal for Jay because this a dear friend of my wife's and I love watching her live her life the way she wants to.