Summary

After many obstacles, I think I am finally finished with 23 Things. I worried that I wouldn't be able to complete it all due to a late start (my "things" were sent to the wrong email) and a sick daughter - in Arkansas. But I was determined to finish what I had started. Some weeks I felt like I spent every waking moment on the computer. It was, however, very much worth it. Would I do it again? Yes, but I would take it in the summer when I had more time and fewer things to get in the way. Did I mention that I had my first grandchild born during this time too? Oh yes, Christmas shopping has been put on hold as well.

Some evenings I got so much info that I felt like my head was spinning. I have big plans for using most of it. My first goal is to start that blog with my parents and students. I am really looking forward to seeing what they do with it. Library Thing will keep me organized and speed things up when looking for a particular book. My Google Alerts have already started keeping me informed in many areas. I can check my calendar on line any time as well. Google Reader has given me lots of new ideas for my classroom. Photo sharing, Tagging, Wikis, WOW! There is just so much out there. I expected to learn a few new things but now I want to do it all. I'm not afraid to try the unknown and I've learned to ask for help when I need it.

Technology is too important for us NOT to try to keep up with it. Notice I did say try. Things change so frequently these days it is hard to stay on top of things. I have a lot of new tools to play with and I plan to use them. Thanks for everything!

Thing #23

I made my Ning badge (although after trying numerous times I still can't get it to work)and discovered Ning had some good ways to do social networking with other professionals in my own field. I found some great activities on a site for Kindergarten. I was glad to get to Ning after checking out the others. They did not capture my attention. I found one network I might join because I would love to be able to collaborate with these teachers. They seem to have some ideas that mesh with my way of teaching.

Thing #22

I visited Myspace and Facebook. I decided that Myspace seemed to be for a younger generation so I created a Facebook page. People have been asking me for a while why I'm not on Facebook. To tell you the truth, I haven't been interested or had the time. I was very reluctant to create it because I've heard so many bad things (Myspace more than Facebook). I decided it would be a great way to keep up with friends and family, especially those that are far away. I have already begun enjoying the pictures posted. Kids grow up so fast that it will be wonderful to "see" the stages when I can't be there. I don't think I will be giving "intimate" details of my life, as I have seen some do. As for educational uses, I think many kids have good keyboarding skills and computer knowledge because of social networking, but I have my doubts as to the uses in the classroom. For me, I think the bad part outweighs the good. My biggest problem with this social networking thing is that I will have to show restraint. I can see now that it can be addictive and take time from other areas that may need my attention.

Thing #7b

I have to admit the thing that caught my eye with this article was the opening line. It reads "Today is Veterans Day and schools across the US are closed." I don't know where this person is from, but I know it's not around here. I do think this holiday deserves a little more recognition so I thought I would take a look at this site. More Veterans Day Lesson Resources is filled with ideas for many grade levels. It even includes a video from CNN. It has a student packet of resources as well. Check it out. You might find something you can use. Thank you veterans and God bless our troops!

Thing #21

I had a great time playing with all the different tools. I found the Google Calendar to be the most helpful. It would be a wonderful way to keep track of school events, social events, church events, etc. I love not having to dig through my purse to find my pocket calendar. I think it would be useful, on a personal level, for families who try to coordinate their schedules for special occasions. We all have computers so it would be so easy. As a classroom tool, I think parents would enjoy being able to check on events and not have to email the teacher or write a note. Google Alerts is great for me because I really don't have time to sit down and read the daily newspaper. With these alerts I can read only what I am interested in. iGoogle is another way to find things that interest you. I like having the current temperature and other important things available at my fingertips.

Thing #20

I came up with several uses for Google Docs. First, I think it would be wonderful to use for my next parent conferences. I could just place my list of available times on my document, have parents check the list and sign up for a time that suits their needs best. It would eliminate the notes back and forth about "sorry, that slot is taken could you meet at...", etc. I like the idea of taking surveys and polls. I mentioned in Thing # 8 that I would like to do a survey on how each family celebrates holidays. Google Docs would be an easy way to do just that. As I was drying my hair I thought of another idea. My kids sometimes have trouble keeping up with homework and other important papers - and yes, the wicked witch gives homework in Kindergarten. I could post a document on Google Docs that lists all homework assignments and who has turned them in. Parents could then check this document instead of trying to contact me. I would give numbers or code names to each child to secure privacy. No excuses now.

Thing #19

Voicethread was really interesting. I've never even heard of it. Most of the ones I explored were too advanced for my teaching area, but I always get ideas from them. I did like the one about Measuring Volume of Weird Objects. That was a good lesson. I also got some ideas from Library From A to Z. My kids would really enjoy using this to show what they have learned. I teach map skills (just for fun) and I might try letting them share their knowledge about this with others. I could also post pictures and let them tell about them just to encourage the use of details for daily writing. The uses for this are endless. Thanks for sharing!

Thing #18

I have seen many YouTube videos but never really explored the site myself. I now know why. I spent way too much time on this. I found an endless amount of "how to's" and funny commercials. I will revisit the commercials any time I am feeling a little sad. As for the "how to's", who could imagine the crazy things you can learn or that there would be so many on how to tie a tie??? In my content area I found a large number of teaching songs. One of my favorites is Big Pig. It's a great one for word families and rhyming. I think the kids will enjoy it and wind up singing along. Teacher Tube did not impress me as much, although I can see it's value. I did find a Coin Song on it that I liked.

Thing #17

I have found that I am not a big podcast fan, especially when there are no visuals. The video podcasts are alright but still not my favorites. I went to the PBS Podcast directory and found one that interested me. The Super Why! Podcast was at my teaching level but too long to use in class. At the Education Podcast Network I found a cute podcast called Radio Popcorn. It had music, jokes, etc. and was all done by kids. Still nothing I could use in class. I found nothing at the kindergarten level from Learn Out Loud. I am an itunes user, but for music only. I get bored listening to something that has no beat. If I used a podcast in my classroom it would have to be a video podcast. It might be fun to create one with my class.