Is it the end or only the beginning?

        The 23 Things was an unusual assignment for me. I really like the fact that we had to do discoveries on our own. It is different then if somebody would explained to me how some web tool work. I had to explore and figured out how Web 2.0 tools work myself, which was very educational for me. It was also surprising for me to find out that it is pretty easy to use Web 2.0; the 23 Things' program was well designed. It taught me where to look and how to learn myself. I know where to look now!
       Some of my favorite discoveries was Go2Web2.0 list of tools, start page, Delicious, and LiveBinders because using them helped me to stay organized. I also liked Mashups, image generators, and Animoto because it was about creativity. I will utilize those tools in the classroom. I do realize, however that I just discovered that all those amazing tools are exist. I wish I were given more time to explore 23 Things. I still need a great amount of time to become more advanced user of all these tools.

Thing #23

Credits

Learning 2.0 - 23 Things for Teachers is based on Learning 2.0 - 23 Things, a staff development program for the Mesquite Independent School District. That program was based on the Learning 2.0 program that was designed by Helene Blowers and adapted by the California School Library Association and others. Content and style for Learning 2.0 - 23 Things for Teachers has been borrowed and duplicated with permission, under a Creative Commons License.

     
       In a classroom, students can take advantage of Creative Commons for creating projects. The teacher must teach students about giving credit when they use someone else's work. And, if I will develop interesting and full of ideas blog or classroom blog, I will use Creative Commons for licencing.

Thing #22

http://www.livebinders.com/play/play?id=813657

I like the idea of using LiveBinders online. I couldn't embed my binder here, so I just paste the link to my binder. I've created three binders with the titles: Math K-3, Good Read K-3, and Teaching strategies. This activity would be a good start to organize useful resources according to subject area. I think in the idea of of sorting and organizing by subject area, LiveBinders are similar to Delicious. In a classroom, the teacher can pull out the site she need, worksheets,  or activities for students to do.
Also, the teacher can create a LiveBinder for a specific assignment or project for students to upload their finished work. And later, students can use their uploaded work for classroom presentations.

 

Thing #21

Try our slideshow creator at Animoto.

I made this short slideshow with  Animoto just to make sure I can do it. The site was so easy to navigate. I only have a problem with choosing music; I was given only one option. Probably, because I chose to make 30 min video and used their own images. I planing to spend more time with this site later and organize my pictures into some creative videos.

Thing #20

      Like many other people, I like to use You Tube. Before I only used it for watching videos, but, thanks to this course, now I learned how to add the video from You Tube. I also payed attention and found out how I can add my own video. I chose this video because it inspires me. I often hesitate or afraid to try new things. This kiwi bird tells me that it always worth to try, even if you not certain what will happen in the end. Because if you don't try, you would never know what you are capable of and you will regret you didn't try. And if you try, you will gain invaluable experience.

Thing #19

     I did not join TeacherPop yet. I already sign up to many things, so I don’t want to add one more that I would probably don’t have time to follow. I probably will do it in the feature.  I explored the site and found it interesting. I didn’t know College of education have its own social communication site (Or it’s not just APSU?). What is great about the online communities is that I can learn something from each of these communities. I can explore my interests from hobbies to career through online communities, which bring people together around passions. This is the right place to exchange news and ideas, and make new connections. It is another way to gather people together; unlike Facebook and Twitter, social networks gather people around their interests and this is whats great about it.

      

Thing #18

     Until now I didn't have an account with Facebook. My friends asked me from a long time ago, but for me it was enough to send e-mails or make a phone calls. For this class, however, I sign up the first time I've been asked. I always thought that I don't have enough time to socialize through Facebook, but now I see the benefits of it. I cannot deny and avoid something that many people found useful. As a teacher, I need to be aware of new things. I might not use it often, but if my students use it, at least I have to know how to use it too.Nowadays, when everybody have an account there it a faster way to communicate. For the teacher it can be the way to communicate with parents; I think parents would communicate more actively through Facebook than through e-mails. Plus its a good place to share class activity pictures. Facebook is a good communication tool, which gives students an opportunity to collaborate. Social networking can be used for organising  classroom or school activities, or events.
http://www.facebook.com/?sk=welcome#!/natalia.lee.33821?sk=info&edit=eduwork

Thing #17

      Again, the video tutorial was very helpful, I really need somebody to show me which button to press. However, it was easy to join Delicious and navigate it. For the tag "educational technology" so many results popped out, so I had to spend some time sorting them out. I , basically, went through the comments for each site. I chose http://cooltoolsforschools.wikispaces.com/Home  for adding to my account. I could see different tags people used to bookmark this , and I could check other people's bookmarks. After exploring those options, I bookmark this site giving it five different tags.
     I think social bookmarking is a useful tool for teachers. I would mostly use it for researching different topics, and I would recommend it for high school students as a tool for creating a list of useful resources. I can create a class account where me and students can share good websites. In general, this tool can teach students how to summarize available information.
    

Thing #16

       I decided to stick with Google since I have Google account and already familiar with it. So, in my start page I deleted some gadgets, which I won't use, such as Twitter, and added Google calendar, Google Map and Google Translator because I use it often. It was a pleasure to work with iGoogle; the application is very user-friendly. I like that I can personalize the page according to my needs. I will improve my productivity if I have everything I need in one place.
      I like the online calendar (I chose Google Calendar) because I can access them anywhere, from my phone or Kindle for example. What especially like is the option to search for public events and schedule them right away. Also, for the teacher, online calendar should be must-have application.
      To-do lists I don't need much yet, since I am not extremely busy person, and because I can remember everything. (Probably, because I have the paper-one version of it on my refrigerator, so it always at my eyes.) However, for the teacher's more ahead planning, like month or two ahead it is useful application too.

Thing #15

This thing was easier than I thought. The Wiki in Plain English video explained pretty much everything.  I was able to make an addition to the APSU 23 Things Sandbox wiki. I also experimented with sidebars, offered features, and tracking tools. I agree about the advantages of using wiki instead of e-mail; wiki is more efficient. Wiki can be used for  the class discussions,projects that required collaborations,reviews of the books students read. I like the idea of  wiki where teachers can exchange their thoughts.

Thing #14

I did not set up an account at any of those sites, but I did put an effort in discovering Gliffy and Bubble. When it comes to Gliffy, it took some time from me to find out what is what. I wouldn’t say it was an easy to work with tool. Only two templates were given, and I needed time to figure if I need to delete some square or connect them differently. I explored, however the different options for creating a flowchart. I think this tool can be used for the middle or high school students; they can fill out pre-created one with the steps of some procedure, or even create their own (long division algorithm for example).

            Compared to Gliffy, Bubble was much easier to use for me, because I could start from the blank and create as many bubbles I want. It is a great tool for brainstorming or creating an outline, which is useful for me because I have too many papers to write.  Mind maps can be used for organizing ideas. The difference between mind maps and flow charts for me is that mind maps show the connection of ideas in terms of how they related, while flow charts show the process in terms of where the ideas are going. Both of them, mind maps and flow charts, have their own purpose.

Thing #13

 I liked Zoho because there I have every tool (documents, spreadsheet, Power Points) I need to work with in one place, unlike the different locations for Microsoft Word, Excel and Presentational power point. It was pretty easy to navigate. But, being a very conservative person, I will probably stick to what I already can do with Microsoft. I simply need more time to get used to new things.
Google docs was easy to work with too. I created just 2 slides of Power points there (didn't have much time), but I couldn't upload it to my blog. I realized that I could link it with my Gmail account, but couldn't figured how.
I  found that both Zoho and Google Docs have collaboration tools, so it would be possible to use in a classroom, when students have a group assignment.
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/12_2xFSlTz7iP8xtKKtYsIAKCIJbva_9CQrIBqPLY9f0/edit?usp=sharing
I hope this link would open my little presentation I created.

Thing #12

I spent some time looking at each of Google tools because they all seems to be very useful to me, except maybe Picasa Web Albums (I like to see a creative pictures other people posted there, but mine is not that good). I found that I already used Google Translate many times before. It is so easy to use! Although the translation sometimes are not the exact, this tool helped me in doing my assignments (it might be not noticeable,  but without its help my English would be more funny).  I can see that Google Translate could be a great tool for a teacher who have a not speaking English or ESL student in her/his class. It would simply help to communicate with a child and his family.
    I also set up an alert about upcoming news from Russia with Google Alerts. I will see if it would be easier to check it in my e-mail compared to blogs I subscribed through  RSS tool. Google Calendar will be useful too for busy teachers who have a millions of things to remember every day. I am planning to use Calendar too. I will use it to make notes for my important dates, appointments, or assignments due.

Thing #11

I checked  first Edublogs' award winners list and found many good sites there. I was easy to find RSS icon and subscribe to those sites or blogs. But the easiest method of finding feeds for me was through the Google Blog search. It was easy to navigate. Topix.net, however, was confusing for me because I was hoping to find local info,but all it gave me was some other place's news. I need more time to explore this search tool.Technorati was pretty easy too for finding blogs for some certain topics. I usuallylooked for an RSS feed icon because they invite you to subskribe right away. The other feed icons I noticed was eNewsBlog, bloglines and my Yahoo.

Thing #10

I like RSS because it allows subscriber so easy to follow favorite sources of information. Before, it always frustrates me when I had to go back to my favorite sites. Now I can see all the updates instead of individually go through them. Having all the information I need neat and organized will save my time. Now I can just scroll down the list and choose the post I am interested at.
I can apply this in my personal life mostly. In a classroom, RSS will help me keep tracking on my favorite educational information sites and blogs. For teachers, who never have enough time, using Google Reader will be very convinient.

Thing #8

http://bighugelabs.com/output/mosaic1a03c7c7400dc959a4891816098809b111438d37.jpg

Honestly, I did not get how this mashups work. I only played with the simple ones, like puzzles or spell. Again, I am not up to date with the last technology, so it takes ages for me to understand how those mashups work.
I had some difficulties first in creating, mostly because I did not have any pictures on my Flickr account. Also, I got confused in navigating mashups inside Flickr.
I created a photo mosaic with Mosaic Maker; for the tag I chose smile. I felt like a good smiles will cheer me up after all this hard work I've done.
In a classroom the use of mashups definitely would bring excitement to learning.Kids would love the spelling, interactive maps in geography, or different perspective of their fild trip pictures. Collages and mosaics would would be a good addition to a classroom blog.

Thing #9

http://www.comicstripgenerator.com/creator.asp?cartoon=alice-in-wonderland
"http://www.imagechef.com/"
It was fun to explore generators, the possibilities are endless.It was easy to work with, much easier than mashups. Here what I created by inserting my text into templates after spending more than two hours figuring out where to find URL for my images. I finally found it by doing right click on my image and using "properties" option.
Generators can be used in a classrom in many different ways. I can make individual motivational posters for students, create banners and signs, or bring variety to our classroom blog. Ii's a way to develop a creativity in my students and me. Using generators will help me to bring a new look into educational process. Imade generators can be used as a tool for different projects. I should explore it more!

Thing #7

I loved to explore Flickr. The photos are amazing! After discovering Flickr and other miraculous sites or apps this course points out to us, I can’t stop thinking: Where have I been all those years and why I did not use it? For someone tech challenged like me, Flickr is so easy to navigate. It seems it is easy to upload personal pictures, too. I think, in the future I would like to sign up for an account so I can finally organize my personal pictures in one place.

            I chose this beautiful winter landscape because it brings me a memory of my childhood. Growing up in a snowy Russia, I was lucky to see such a beautiful view every single winter day. Of course, when I was over there, I did not notice how unique this winter beauty was. I love how neat and clean it looks when everything covered by snow. And it is so peaceful and calm when it snows. Winter almost over, but there was no snow here in Clarksville. Miss it…

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cubishots/378548586/

Winter Wonderland

Winter Wonderland, a photo by Cubilla Milan on Flickr.

Thing #6

 This list of Go2Web2.0 is a real treasure! The organization of it is so neat and helpful. I have to admit, before I searched only through Google, and it wasn’t efficient. While explore Go2Web2.0 list, I spent a quality time checking different sites. Not so easy to just start with ONE, so I chose two of them.

             I chose to discover the Web 2.0 tool named http://www.Gameclassroom.com  because it makes educational material enjoyable for students. This site has many engaging and educational games for kids, which paired with related worksheets. Also, website offers useful learning tips and interactive homework help. In my classroom I can use games and video from this site, I can use their vast library of lesson plans, math and language arts worksheets, and problem sets as an additional resource for students, teachers and parents. I think it is important for elementary school to teach through fun games and activities.

While exploring Learnboost.com  I found a software the teacher would need to manage a classroom. This application is a free tool to manage the classroom by tracking attendance, using gradebook software, creating lesson plans, reporting students’ progress. In addition, the teacher can share grades on assignments, attendance records, course calendars, and class policies with parents. This software will save teacher’s time with great help in planning, assessing, and reflecting on students’ academic performance.

 

 

Thing #5

Not only from the articles, but with its help especially, I realized that Web 2.0 is a great tool to use for educators. Steve Hargadon gave a good suggestion of how to start learning about Web 2.0. The teacher must be very knowledgeable person to navigate her students in the growing mass of new technology. The teachers of School 2.0 must know how to use the powerful tool of technologies in their advance. For schools in the future it requires to change the traditional way of learning. Incorporating the love of using technology our kids have already in the process of learning is the goal of School 2.0. The correct use of technology will help students to be more engaged in the process of learning.

Thing #4

Active blogging helps create a sense of community and interaction because people share information, thoughts, and beliefs in their posts. The post writers provide their opinion and they wants to hear the opinions of others.  Commenting allows the writer to feel supported, and it lets them know that they are valuable to community.  Writing a post allows a writer to invite other people to make “conversation”. I do not think that it is necessary to respond to every blog comment (or there is often no time) or follow all your readers’ blogs to create community. You just have to use the feedback you’re given.

Comments are the best form to interact with my readers about specific topics or ideas. I found important the point from CoolCats Blog that I should comment because I have something meaningful to add to the conversation and I care about the topic. Sharing your opinion in a comment shows that you spent time reading somebody’s blog and writing response. The other point I found important is not to be afraid of commenting and share some information about you. I found it important because as a new blogger I often hesitate to live a comment thinking that my opinion not that important. However, the author pointed that any perspective should be shared.

I decided to make a comment to Alison Curtis Thing #1 post because I found a lot of common between us regarding of what is the hardest and easiest about lifelong learning. Rebecca Brooks always was interesting person to talk with when we had the same class last semester and her posts are very enjoyable to read. She also has the same problems dealing with deployment disasters as me. Karalina Roelle is my friend and I would never miss the chance to talk to her even through blogging. I like the way she presented herself in her blog; it reflects her personality. Markesha McCombs are my classmate; she helped me a lot in class. I like to follow her blog because her posts are meaningful and exciting to read. I commented on her ideas of how to use blog in a classroom. I also found Elizabeth Howell’s blog interesting and engaging; I commented on how I actually learned from her blog.

A couple of blogs that I like to follow (and I even left a comment recently) are the blog section on http://www.genkienglish.net because there are so many practical ideas of how to teach English to kids in other countries. I think that what I would like to do in future, so his program is what I would like to use in future. The other blog I like to follow is http://russiapastandpresent.blogspot.com  because it full of historical and cultural information about the situation in Russia where I am from.

I decided to comment on blogs that I follow because I wanted blogger to know that people in the blogging world care about their opinions and thoughts. I wanted to let them know that I found something really helpful.

Thing #3

The teacher can use the classroom blog as an additional tool in her teaching where she can put assignments info, important events, and due dates.  I think blogging might be a good alternative to language art/writing homework.  Instead of writing in their journal, students would enjoy more to keep their journals in the blog form. Blog is also a good tool to involve students in productive discussions.  I can also put some problems to solve and have students to respond by certain date. Blogging is a good way to informally communicate with the parents. As a teacher, I can share my teaching strategy with the parents and put a links to some useful educational websites. To receive a feedback from the parents, I can use blogs to conduct an online survey in relation to my students learning needs.

I would also use blogging to share the ideas about teaching with other educators and learn new methods of teaching from them.

Thing #2

    Prior this experience, I never had a blog before or have written in the blogs of other people. I loved, however, to read posts in different blogs. Nowadays, one can find blogs with information on any topics. I have to admit I enjoy reading blogs because I always learn something new.

      I was excited to create my own blog, realizing that I will communicate with people who I might not even know. New experience!!! It was not difficult to create my own blog – the instructions were pretty clear and I was able to do it in the classroom during the instructions. But the next day I had to spend some time figuring out what is what in my blog. I’ve decided to use my name for posting name, so it would be easy to identify whose blog is it. For the name of my blog I chose the number of this course plus my first name. I came up with it after trying different names computer didn’t accept.
      Creating an avatar was slightly different at the end, when I tried to add it to my blog. I ended with the three same avatars on the different corners of my blog, which I had to delete. There were not many options for creating an avatar. I tried to make it look like me; the only thing I added was surprise expression on my face because I was often puzzled by all this new experiences with technologies. I also add books because I like to read and there are always books around me.

 

Thing #1

The hardest for me was # 3 and #6 combined – I knew that I have problems with using latest technology, but I did not view it as a challenge to finally learn how to use it at my advantage. I never bother myself to learn all the features my cellphone has because I thought I didn’t need them. It was also much easier to ask my husband to help me with computer than spend hours figuring out how some program work. I also never desperately needed to learn all this new technologies that come into existence in geometrical progression. I see now that I simply avoided the problem.

        The easiest for me was accepting responsibility for my own learning because I can identify my strengths and weaknesses in learning and make modifications in my learning strategies, which will help me to achieve a better result. I simply know that the more effort and time I will put in learning, the better the result will be. With this in mind, I know for sure that if I am intend to learn how to use technology for my advantage, I will succeed.