Reflections

My pageflake experience has left me feeling very overwhelmed.  Because this exercise encompassed so many of the tools we have been exposed to in past weeks, I found it difficult to recall the function and purpose of each tool and how best to apply it.

If I put myself outside of my spinning head, I can see Pageflakes for the amazing application that it is.  The fact that any user can customize his own page with any “flakes” he chooses is really cool.  To have access to so much pertinent information on one page is empowering and keeps the user up to date on current topics.

Within the classroom environment, students could use Pageflakes to display information about topics they are studying.  For example, when discussing the novel The Phantom Tollbooth, students could add flakes centered around the author and characters.  Their page could contain pictures, reviews and clips from the animated movie.

Another way Pageflakes could be integrated into the classroom is within a political science class.  With this being an election year, I think it’s a critical time to educate students on the candidates and issues.     By setting up their own page, students could easily stay abreast of the latest political developments, compliments of rss feeds of their choosing.

I found Google Docs very fun and easy to use.  Because its features are similar to Microsoft Office, I spent almost no time learning the ropes, which left more time for exploration and play.  I enjoyed creating a weekly assignment sheet using the document feature and the beginnings of a slideshow using the presentation program.  My only disappointment with these programs is the limited number of font options.  Maybe that worked out for the best, though; I have a tendency to spend way too much time toying with fonts!

Google Docs is an ideal enrichment tool to use both in and out of the classroom, particularly when working on a collaborative project.  Students could create presentations on a particular topic with an assigned group.  Because the document is saved online and accessible from any computer, each group member would have the ability to add his ideas to the presentation.  Google Docs makes planning within a grade level easier, too.  Instead of attaching a number of versions of one document to emails, creating the document on Google Docs allows all the members of the team to view the newest version.  Peer editing of writing samples is another beneficial use for Google Docs.  What I think is so invaluable about this type of editing is that each draft is saved, which allows the author to view his work from start to finish; seeing this editing process up close is very empowering for students.

Exploring YouTube and TeacherTube is definitely addictive. I enjoyed searching the vast number of How To videos, everything from how to do a french braid to how to prepare food; between YouTube and TeacherTube, anyone can learn how to do just about anything…it’s amazing!

I wish TeacherTube had been in existence when I was in college. What better way to learn how to teach than by watching other teachers do it? I don’t know about you, but I didn’t learn anything about teaching until I was able to get into the classroom and observe teachers and then have hands-on experience teaching the class myself; the hours of sitting in the classroom listening to professors talk about teaching didn’t cut it for me. The amount of classroom exposure was limited to two quarters in college for me, which just wasn’t enough. If TeacherTube had been an option, I could have had unlimited access to watch any number of lessons and various teaching styles, which would have been so beneficial to my learning.

One quality teaching video that I came upon while exploring TeacherTube features a teacher introducing several new vocabulary words to a group of students. She does an excellent job of providing short and accurate definitions to the words and then using the words in context while reading the students a picture book. It’s a good example of providing reading instruction to a small group of students, and it is evident in the video that this particular teacher relates well to her students and has a strong rapport with them. Here is the clip –
Download Video: Posted by ABeard at TeacherTube.com.
I hope that professors in universities are exposing their students to the content on TeacherTube because it provides a wonderful platform for learning. Not all of the videos are of the highest quality or provide “good” examples of teaching, but those too can be excellent aides to instruction; it helps to see what not to do, too!

I was pleasantly surprised to discover how easy it was to create a podcast. I can see, however, that it may be a bit more difficult to create a podcast of “high quality,” especially if you have elementary age students involved.

In my brief podcast, I mention three ideas for student and/or teacher created podcasts that would support classroom learning. My first thought is for students to produce oral book reports. This would not only allow the students’ teacher and classmates to hear the information, but it would also provide the opportunity for the students to hear themselves. Participating in mock interviews is another way in which a podcast can be used within the classroom. How beneficial and empowering it would be for students to practice their interview skills with the ability to listen to their responses. Because so many of us have what is called “selective hearing,” I think it’s important to practice using our listening skills. Creating a following directions exercise is the ideal use for a podcast.

I hope you enjoy listening to my first podcast.

I checked out several podcasts, primarily in the subject areas of early childhood education and language arts.  While I enjoyed listening to them, I found it difficult to stay focused.  Because I am a visual learner, it is a challenge for me to learn solely through listening.  I need to see words and pictures associated with what is being taught in order to fully grasp its content.  I would imagine the same would hold true for many children in the classroom.  Podcasts are an excellent teaching tool for auditory learners and certainly have a place in education, as long as they are used in conjunction with other teaching methods.

I enjoyed my tour of 43 Things and had a lot of fun searching for different goals.  I was surprised to find how many people share the goals I set for myself (i.e. to stop and smell the roses.)  This type of goal setting forum is extremely powerful; there is something motivating about writing your goals down and exposing them to the world.  I believe it makes you much more accountable and more likely to accomplish what you have set out to do.

I really love to read but feel like I haven’t done a whole lot of “pleasure” reading since I had my first child three years ago.  A combination of sleep deprivation and needing to read every parenting book ever written has prevented me from keeping up with what’s hot on the bestseller’s list.  For this reason, I am so glad to know that a site like LibraryThing exists!

LibraryThing is very user friendly and informative.  I really like the social aspect of it and how it connects you with readers with similar interests; it’s like having your own book club with people you’ve never met…how cool!  My favorite feature is the suggester and unsuggester; I typed in a few titles to see what book titles LibraryThing would spit out, and I feel like it did a good job of pegging me as a reader.

I can see this site being incredibly useful within the classroom.  Forming groups with teachers based on specific titles or areas of interest would be extremely beneficial for sharing thoughts and ideas and gathering suggestions.  If you’ve used the same book within the classroom for a number of years and you’re looking for a new one to spice things up a bit, LibraryThing would be the perfect resource to consult.

I know I say this after completing each “thing,” but I continue to be amazed by technology and its capabilities. I feel as if I just got the hang of old school bookmarking, and now I have been thrown into the delicious world, and how wonderful it is! I had so much fun tagging websites, everything from toddler topic pools to a grammar reference site; I plan to keep adding when I have more time to play on the web. Check out my links at http://del.icio.us/kbuschmann.

Delicious holds endless possibilities for users, both professionally and personally. Because it is a social bookmarking site, anyone can see what sites others have tagged (unless they have made them private.) I found this feature to be extremely helpful in narrowing my search for just the right site; more often than not, the most popular sites are the ones I chose to tag. In addition, this social feature assists in creating (in your words, Shelly), “a personal resource network,” which can be extremely helpful in gathering ideas and planning lessons.

As my tool of choice, I decided to “play” with LetterPop. This is a wonderful program that allows you to create newsletters, scrapbook pages and flyers with your own photos; I created an adorable Easter collage using pictures of my children in only minutes! I was impressed by the vast selection of ready made templates available, and I was happy to find LetterPop extremely user friendly; you only need to know how to drag and drop in order to achieve success!

LetterPop is the perfect tool to implement within the classroom.  Because it is so user friendly, students would pick it up in no time, and they would have so much fun using their creating projects of all sorts with this program.  From class newsletters and flyers to scrapbook pages of pictures associated with units of study (i.e. animals or plants in science), the possibilities for classroom use are endless!

LetterPop contains an email feature, which is allows you to create an address book of people with whom you would like to share your finished products. This is a wonderful way to keep in touch with friends and family and keep them posted on the happenings in your personal and professional life. I enjoyed working in this program so much that I’m going to add it to my favorites list!