Thing #21

My experience using Animoto was pleasant. The site was very simple to figure out. My only complaint is the length of the video. I understand that the point is to get you to purchase a video, but I feel like you should be able to make up to one minute for free rather than thirty seconds.

Here is my video! (images from Animoto's image pool)



Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

Thing #20

For this assignment, I decided to simply make my own video. I found some statistics and used them for my video. I really, really enjoy youtube (for entertainment and education). I like how easy the site is to navigate and how there really is anything and everything to choose from.

I wish that the simplicity of the search engine could be applied to my library website when finding videos, etc.

This video could be an example for an assignment in which I ask my students to make a short video of a fact they found interesting/shocking.

Thing #19

• Are you a member of any online communities?
• Are any of these social networks appealing to you?
• What did you find that was interesting and that you might use later?0
  
  I am a member of a twitter group called 'Future Educators' along with a facebook discussion group of the same name. These groups are beneficial and appealing to me as I am able to connect with other future teachers, share information, and it's very, very simple to share. I will definitely continue to use twitter and facebook groups to share information, though as I graduate, I will join different groups!

Thing #18

1. Set up an account with Twitter or Facebook (if you don't already have one) and post the link to your profile in your blog. If you are uncomfortable using your real name, use an alias. While on Facebook, be sure to join the College of Education Facebook page so you can keep up with everything that is going on in and around the Claxton building!
        My facebook link is HERE and my twitter link is HERE.

2. Search for schools, teachers, authors or people you know and add them to your friends list. 
(I did this with facebook but elected not to do so with my twitter)

3. Write a blog post about your experience that addresses these questions. Why is it important that educators know how social networking works? What new insights did you gain about these popular sites? What did you like or dislike about each of the sites you explored? Which site had the most useful features? Can you see a classroom or school application for any of these sites?

My experience with twitter and facebook came long before this project. They are fun social networking/media sites to catch up with friends, gather information, share information, and much more. I gained new insight in that I'm now beginning to realize just how effectively I can use these tools to my advantage.

A classroom/school application that I have in mind would be making a Facebook Profile as a teacher that students could 'like'. It would have the syllabus, class schedule, other information available. Plus, if students needed help, they could write on the facebook wall and I would try my best to help. The same goes for twitter! (Though I found Facebook had the most features)

Thing #17

Create a blog post about your experience and thoughts about this tool. Can you see the potential of this tool in the classroom? Or just as an easy way to create bookmarks that can be accessed from anywhere? How can teachers take advantage of social bookmarking sites?

My experience with the bookmarking tool was generally pleasant. While I can see the potential of the tool in the classroom, it was a bit stressful for me. I can see myself using it in the future, but I'm so used to using the tools that I've been using that I honestly wouldn't convert at the moment.

Teachers can take advantage of the social bookmarking sites as ways to distribute information to students and sure-fire ways to load certain applications and sites in the classroom, for lessons, etc.

Thing #16

• Which start page did you choose? Why did that one appeal to you? Will you make it your permanent home page?
• For my Start Page, I chose iGoogle. I made it a lovely shade of blue and will probably make it my permanent start page. It's very useful and contains links to my daily apps.

• How can the online calendars be useful to you?
• Online calendars can be useful in that I check my email/get on the computer at least once a day and, since I don't always check my planner, I could easily use the calendar to remember important dates, appointments, assignments, etc.
  
• What about the to-do lists—helpful, too much work…?
• I liked it, but I feel it would be just as effective and much easier to make my own to-do list and tape it somewhere. That being said, I love making lists, so I may be a bit biased. It just seemed excessive.
  
• Did you find a tool that has some uses for you at the school or at home? Which tool(s) would you recommend to others?
• There was a weather tool that I found. I would recommend it to others. Here is a link to it: http://www.weather.com/services/

Thing #15

Create a post in your blog about the experience. How might you use a wiki? What did you find interesting about the wiki concept?

In editing my wiki, I was surprised at just how simple it was. Yes, I've heard in the past from teachers and authoritative figures that ANYBODY could create or edit a wiki, but it wasn't until I was editing one myself did I realize just how unreliable the information may be.

In the future, I might use a wiki in the classroom as a way for students to collaborate on an assignment and create a finished wiki. My experience was pleasant and I'd imagine that theirs would be too.

Thing #14

For my graphs, I chose to use Bubbl.us and MindMeiser. My overall experience was pleasant, but all around, I really enjoyed Bubbl.us. It was so simple to use and very easy to read. I would definitely use it again for future presentations, documents, lectures, etc. Likewise, MindMeiser costs money and not all can afford to use it.

Below (in order) are the two charts I made using Bubbl.us and MindMeiser:

Thing # 13

Discovery Exercise:
1. Create a free account for yourself in Zoho
2. Explore the site, visit Zoho Writer under productivity tools and create a test document or two.
3. Try out Zoho Writer’s features and create a blog post about your discoveries.
4. Explore Google Docs, Google's online word processing/spreadsheet/presentation applications.
5. Create a document, spreadsheet, or drawing and share it in your blog
6. Discuss in your blog how your students might work collaboratively using Google Docs.
7. Compare the two web-based productivity sites (Google Docs and  Zoho). Which do you prefer? Why?

I created an account in Zoho and immediately liked that I could create/access my information anywhere; there is no 'dropbox'. What I didn't really care for is the fact that there is a limit- you can only access your previous 25 items which seems like a lot, but in the long run it may not be as promising.
Below is the document I created in Zoho Writer:

Next, I use Google Docs. I liked that I could access my account everywhere and that I could save file upon file. It wasn't as user friendly in my opinion (Zoho offered more options for creativity), but the pros and cons really balanced eachother out. If I had to choose... I would go with Zoho.