Thing #8

My creation
Originally uploaded by wendy's wanderings

Darn it took a long time to figure out which Blog I'm using and how to get Flickr to "Blog This" poster so that you all would be able to click on the photo and view a larger picture. I'm still not impressed with Flickr, but I am impressed with some of the tools that I can use for my classroom

It would be awesome if I could feature each of my students on a poster like I did for Sky. The poster says, "My Life, My Dreams" and the tagline says, "Deaf doesn't mean you can't dance." This would be a good self-esteem building tool and I know the kids would treasure it always.

If I could take them to the computer lab and allow them to create their own poster, that would be even better. I am thinking about creating another Science Website for my 5th graders so I could use some of the Fickr 3rd party applications to enhance the site and make it more interesting than the last. I am seriously thinking of using the jigsaw tool to order a jigsaw puzzle for Biddy, my great-grandmother who just turned 100 and is in excellent health but spends her time doing puzzles with what she calls the elderly on her volunteer days.

Thing #7

Flickr is not my choice of online photo sites for several reasons. You're limited to the amount of uploads each month unless you decide to pay for Flickr professional, it's not always as secure as it should be, it doesn't track who's been looking at your pictures if you allow them to be public (as in the case of this class), and the photo quality isn't as rewarding as it should be once you upload the pictures.

I do like the features of Flickr some of which I don't have with my choice, Shutterfly, but the bells and whistles of Flickr don't convince me to leave Shutterfly or it's user friendly and inexpensive but nice photo gifts and prints.

Since I'm a private person, I leave nothing public on the Internet except my two MySpace pages. There are just too many perverts to take a chance on one inadvertly using a picture of a child to find him or her. Once this class is over, I will go back to my Flickr account and make the picture private again.

Thing #6

It was sooooooo hard for me to not go to my favorite Web 2.0 sites! Craigs List, Yahoo Answers, Facebook, and Google Earth are just a few of the ones I love on the Awards Lists and use anywhere from daily to weekly. I did choose to go to Cocktail Builder and let's just say that I spent too much time on this site and left home with a list of what to buy at Dub's. You can imagine what Dub's is. You have to be 21 to go in the store.

My girlfriends and I enjoyed a nice evening outside on my deck trying all of the interesting cocktails I found. It was one of the best and funniest "Girls' Nights" that we've had in a long time. Thank goodness someone chose to have the "Gotta Drive" which turned out to be pretty good. I'm sure that you can tell, I will be enjoying Cocktail Builder's award just as much as they will. Now when I tell my coworkers I'm going home to have a Chocolate Chip Cookie, I'll get the pleasure of them not knowing what I'm talking about.

I also chose to go to the Going.com site. We're always looking for reasonably fun and inexpensive things to do in Dallas and have always relied on Quick or Dallas Morning News or Movin 107.5 to find the weekend happenings in Dallas. Now we have another resource.

Thing #5

2.0. What does it all mean in the big scheme of things and for the future of our world. To incorporate technology into the daily education of students is wonderful and powerful and scary all at the same time. While technology can not be ignored, neither can the fact that man is becoming so dependent on technology that when something falters, the world stops.

Maybe I feel this way because when I graduated from high school in 1991 we researched the old fashion way (microfiche, microfilm, Reader's Guide, etc) and tended to use a dictionary and found pleasure in the process of research. Two years into college, I was researching in a different way--the Internet, but often missed having to go to the library and digging through "old stuff".

This year, I watched my 5th graders who couldn't use a dictionary but could use dictionary.com, who couldn't spell 5th grade vocabulary but who could use the spell check only to choose the incorrect word, and those who could tell me the latest gossip from the Internet but couldn't tell me what 5x5 is. There has to be a balance and a leveling of the playing field. It seems to me that parents and schools are going to have to collaborate in order for students to reap the rewards of Web 2.0. Parents can't allow technology to substitute for good old-fashion teaching and teachers can't be afraid of the future.

Thing #4

When I began blogging, it was just because it was the latest thing to do on the Internet. I soon found out that I wanted to know if someone was reading my blogs and if so, what did that person think? Commenting helps the writer to know someone is paying attention, in the same situation, or can give an honest opinion. Commenting also leads to being able to be constructive and for some, open the line of communication.

From the reading, I found it important that people know there is an etiquette to commenting just like there is to anything else. I spent more time on the 10 Commandments of Commenting than anything else because it seemed to fit what people need the most when commenting. I'd never thought about inviting someone to comment (maybe because sometimes, I just don't want to know what others think) but I do like the idea. One person made the reasoning that commenting should be made easy. I too hate to login in just to make a comment.

For the rest of Thing #4, I am going to read and comment on 50 Year Learner, Coach D's Corner, MimisWordsofWisdom, Teachartiscoool, Reese Reading and as for my choices, ummm, I don't know.

UPDATE:

As I commented on the blogs, I found that I have several things in common with the people I randomly chose. 50 Year learner inspired my mom to use her computer, Coach D's Corner was fun to visit and I could tell she really spent time fixing up her blog, MimisWordsofWisdom was truly words of wisdom with tons of neat ideas (some of which I hope I remember to use), Teachartiscool proved to me that I am too logical and need to explore my creative side (maybe my boyfriend will stop calling me Mrs. Spock), and ReeseReading and I will probably run across each other on bakespace.

I chose to comment in two blogs with subjects that I hold dear to my heart. One blog Twice Exceptional was found purely through accident, but it's a support group with a forum for parents of children who are considered Twice Exceptional. Children with high intelligence and a disability (or disabilities). Had Skyler not been diagnosed correctly with degenerative hearing loss, she would have been labeled as autistic when in fact, her intelligence level is higher than average but less than genius (thank goodness) and she is not autistic. The group mainly talks about frustrations of dealing with school issues (Skyler is in Montessori because she did not qualify for a deaf-ed program), where to find support systems (especially in small towns), and how to deal with the choices parents of these children have to make.

The other blog that I left comments in is for women with a condition called Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). Millions of women are misdiagnosed each year who have this condition. I was one and thankfully, my dermatologist (yes the dermatologist) had the forethought to test my insulin level. It was out of this world high and with his recommendation to a new family physician, I felt better within a week. Three years of thinking I was a hypochondriac and my Dr. telling me I was one was erased within a week. We discuss all the things that come along with PCOS and mainly serve as a support system for those newly diagnosed.

Thing #3

Since I teach 5th Grade Science, I could easily use blogging to direct my students to current events in Science, ask them questions in class and allow them to blog their opinion as a part of their discussion, or for my student to just ponder about things they are learning in Science.

For my Quest students, with parent permission of course, I could set a blog up for them, and allow them to discuss topics among themselves. I could also require them to comment on varying opinions and things that have been brought up in class. (WOW...I just came up with an above and beyond lesson for my Quest kids...woohoo!)

For children who are not in Quest, but love to journal or just need an outlet to relieve stress, a blog is a good place to start. I got into blogging because I am a person who holds my anger in and it lead to stress and some chest pains. After that scare, I took some advice that I give my students, and I began to write it down. First in a journal (really spiral notebooks) and then I found a blog site for people like me--those who need to take their own advice and let off some steam!

Thing #2

Creating my avatar took forever because I wanted it to be different from the other ones I've created for my Yahoo accounts. I also couldn't decide whether or not I wanted my avatar to be something funny and silly or something that represents me. I opted for the something that represents me (except my love for the Green Bay Packers couldn't be displayed), but I did show my love for NASCAR and my avatar represents how I look today.

Creating the blog was easy since I blog all about my work stress and complaints on a restricted site. As far as deciding on a posting name, I just chose something that once again represents me. I can be in the middle of a conversation, execute a change of conversation and leave everyone else thinking, what is she thinking about. It's all a part of what I like to refer to as my "act".

Thing #1

After watching the video about the 7 1/2 Lifelong Learning Habits, I accepted that I am really a nerd. I hated being called a nerd in high school because I always said I wanted to go to college, get a master's degree and then a doctorate. I managed to get two master's and I'm working on the doctorate. Somehow, I have these habits without even knowing that they are habits. I just thought I was abnormal to love to learn.

I love school, learning, and teaching, and unlike some people who shop when they are bored, I go to school. The joke with my family and friends is "what are you going to graduate with next and when so that I can put it on my calendar."

Anyhow, the hardest habit for me is to view problems as challenges. I view them as unnecessary nuisances and nothing else. I'm always asking "why" when something goes wrong and I get so frustrated when something gets in my way. It's probably more anxiety than frustration, but the problem (now challenge), throws off my time schedule and I HATE BEING OFF OF SCHEDULE!

The easiest habit for me is to teach/mentor others. I love teaching and when my coworkers are happy about summer, all I can think about is "what am I going to do next year and how am I going to make it better and how bored I'll be until summer school starts." Teaching just comes natural to me. When I was in 3rd grade, I taught my younger cousin to read. My biology professor said that he never saw me interested in his class until I had to become his TA (teaching assistant). If I won the lottery, I'd teach for free and send another lifelong learner to school to continue with my habits.