thing #23

I have truly enjoyed the journey through 23 things and I am looking forward to using them in my teaching this next school year. Hopefully, I will be able to continue my learning with new "things" in the future.

What were your favorite discoveries or exercies on this learning journey?
I really enjoyed searching You Tube for Math videos. I found so many that would be great to use in class. The most challenging and fun thing was creating my own video with music. Although it took some time, I know I will do this again. I also enjoyed the text and image creators. I will use these tools again to create comic strips, puzzles, etc.

How has this program assisted or affected your lifelong learning goals?
It has inspired me to learn more about Web 2.0 and to use what I have learned this summer. I can't wait to show fellow teachers and students the great features of 2.0.

Were there any take-aways or unexpected outcomes from this program that surprised you?
Before I started this program I looked at other teacher's blogs to see what I was getting into. I wasn't sure that I had the technology experience to complete the program but I am pleasantly
surprised that with just a little help I could do all 23 things.

What could we do to improve upon this program's format or concept?
I really liked the format of this program. Each step of the way I was provided with great information and examples and I really appreciated the fact that I could work at my own pace and at a time in the day that was convenient for me.

If we offered another discovery program like this in the future would you participate?
I most definitely would participate! I think there is a part two to this program that I hope to tackle next summer.

How would you describe your learning experience in one word or one sentence, so we could use your words to promote 23 things learning experience.

A challenging and rewarding journey through 23 new things.

thing #22

Nings are social networking websites much like My Space or Facebook. I spent some time at Educator's Ning and found many conversations that would be fun to participate in. I joined in on a group giving advice to new teachers. The great thing is that I can have several Nings going at once. I could be part of a Math group, a Stratford group, a sewing group etc.
Nings would be great for students in a class or working on a project.

thing #21

I am not going to lie! I had to have my daughter help me with this videocast. I found that uploading the pictures was relatively easy. But, after an hour of trying to upload a song to play with this video I decided to seek her professional help. Technology is second nature to kids and it only took her a few seconds to have the song uploaded from my CD (Romanza by Andrea Bocelli) to the slide show. I also found that the instructions for posting the video in my blog very helpful. I was able to successfully publish it in about ten minutes. I would love to use this program again. It would be especially good to put a videocast together of family Christmas celebrations and send it out the family. I can see where it can be used in the classroom too!

thing #20

I visited Teacher Tube and You Tube and settled on this video of the Quadratic formula. I thought my students could really relate to the rap song. Both sites were easy to navigate and I spent a great deal of time watching videos! It took me a while to find the embedded code on YouTube but once I found it then it was easy to publish in my post. I was amazed out how many educational videos on Math I found on both sites.

thing #19

I am familiar and use many of the Web 2.0 Awards such as google maps, Youtube, urbanspoon, and Craig's list. I spent some time on Yelp and found a restraunt that I have heard about for some time, knew the general location, but could not remember the name. I read wonderful reviews on the Italian food it serves and booked a reservation for my anniversary! I definitely added this site to my favorites.
I decided to explore Awards that are not necessarily geared toward Mathematics as I have already registered for sites specific to Math. I settled on Writeboard which is a sharable web based text document that allows you to save every edit, rollback to any version and collaborate with others. It is also free! Although I can see a wide use in English and History, I think it would be great for projects in Math. It would allow students to work in groups from home and it would be a way to see the creative side of students.

thing #18

After exploring both options, I found that OpenOffice is much like Microsoft Office. I would probably never use it and would opt for Microsoft Office since I am most familiar with the program. I did like Google Docs though. I went through the different templates and chose the following three that I think I would really use. 1) a To Do List (my whole life is organized via lists) and 2) a monthly budget manager (I have never had a budget before) and 3) a trip planner (organizes miles, costs etc) We shall see how I do on a budget!

thing #17

Rollyo is a great tool for me to use with my classes. I could see myself posting my rollyo on my syllabus at the beginning of the year. I created a rollyo that will alow students to get help with homework, extra practice problems and games. I agree with everyone else that the SBISD teacher that made the Rollyo video did a fantastic job. It is so easy to understand. What a great teacher he is!



http://rollyo.com/msueheine/heine_geometry/