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.