Is This the End or Only the Begining

          I found that in completing the 23 Things for Austin Peay’s Education 3040 class, I have expanded my knowledge of being a teacher. I have discovered many ways to create fun and interesting activities and lessons for my future students. My favorite activities have to be the interactive PowerPoint and the Podcast. I enjoyed these because they taught me things I never knew I could do for my classroom.

          This program has really affected my lifelong learning goals because I will forever have tools and ideas to help connect with our technology center students and to keep school fun and different. There were some things however (like the wiki) that I feel would be unhelpful in my future career.

         This class has taught me that there are hundreds of different ways to teach any topic. School lessons can be interactive, fun, and different every day and all you have to do is know how to use your tools that are available all over the web.

          I see this blog remaining very important to me. Whether I want to refresh and review my tools or if I want to share my knowledge with others, I will always have access to a helpful resource. I really plan to continue using technology in my classroom and to continuously find new things to introduce to my students.

Thing #23: Creative Commons

•Find an example or attribution that shows the Learning 2.0-23Things for Teachers blog was based on someone else's work and modified from its original.
•Now that you know about Creative Commons licensing, how will you use it in the future as a teacher?


This blog states on the 23 Things pages that:

"*Note: This project is loosely based upon the website 43Things (which allows you to set and track personal goals) and the Stephen Abram article titled 43 Things I (or You) might want to do this year (Information Outlook - Feb 2006)."

As a teacher I will have to be very aware of the rules on using certain pieces. I will also be sure to site and give credit to those who own or create things I use or modify.

Thing #22: LiveBinders

**Create a blog post that tells:
•What are the titles of your binders?
•Embed one of your binders in your post. Click on the Options button under the binder you have selected to share, and then click on Embed. Copy the code and paste it into your blog post.
•Discuss how you might use LiveBinders in the classroom, including possible lesson ideas for students.

Math

The titles of my binders are Math, Tennessee Teachers, and Educational Technology.

I would use LiveBinders to put together sites that i want to use in certain subjects and lessons. These can be embedded and made public so that students can also go back and easily find the sites you used in the classroom.

Thing #21: Animoto

**Embed your new 30 second clip onto your blog. There is a special code just for Blogger that you can use.

**Blog about your experience using Animoto.


Try our slideshow creator at Animoto.


Using Animoto is very easy to do and 30 second videos are free!! I could use this for short clips of my class or for short pictures that pertain to a lesson. Animoto was surprising very quick and simple to use. I am very pleased and I cannot wait to make for videos.

Thing #20: You, Too, Can YouTube

**Create a blog post about your experience. What did you like or dislike about the site and why did you choose the video that you did? Can you see any features or components of the site that might be interesting if they were applied to your library website?




I love YouTube. You can find so many videos to help teach your students or yourself. Anyone kind find a video on almost anything. There are how to videos, entertainment videos, songs, and school related videos. You can also create an account for your classroom to post and link videos that you recommended or that you want to use. The only I do not like about YouTube is using it in class with the students. Youtube is not filtered very well so inappropriate advertisements or videos may show up with your search. This is why teachers who are showing a video should have the video link or the video posted on a more appropriate site. This particular video above was picked because it shows the everyday life of a teacher in a funny and musical way. I could not stop giggling and I can not wait to be put in her position.

Thing #19: Beyond Facebook: Other Social Networks

Write a blog post discussing the following:
•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?


Visit TeacherPop


I have used Ning.com before for one of my previous classes. I find it very useful if you plan to use it often. This is a place that students have to request to join. The teacher accepts. From here students and teachers can post about their classroom, their assignments, and their homework. I think if a teacher plans to frequently use this site, students will check it often and it will be a success. Its a lot more private and safer for students than Facebook or Twitter.

Using Ning is definitely a site I could see myself using in a high school class or for parents of younger students who want to keep up with the happenings of the class.

Thing # 18: Explore Social Networks

**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?

I am quite familiar with Twitter and Facebook, but I've never thought about using them in a classroom. I think it is very important that educators are familiar with using social networks. It will help them know what the students are exposed to and they a so public that an instructor can easily keep with their student's home life and friends. This could help a teacher understand what a child is going through or the crowds and paths that the student is going with. I don't, however, believe social networks should not be a big part of the classroom. Social networks can not only cause problems but it can expose students to things that parent don't want their students coming across and reading. If any social network would be used I would choose Twitter because it seems to be just statuses and the student's can choose to "Follow" the teacher or the class account. Maybe it would be a better idea to have a Facebook or Twitter dedicated to the faculty and staff. This will encourage collaboration and communication between teachers in your hall or grade and other halls or grades.