Thing 6

I decided to search learning games on the directory of the Go2web2.0. Several amazing kid’s sites came up. The reason I chose this particular site of the others was because it advertised as a blocker site as well as a game site. This appealed to me because how often do kids click aimlessly on whatever link is close by their mouse, in hopes of getting their computer to run slightly faster (FYI that doesn’t work it just refreshes the browser so you end up waiting longer than you have to). I chose the http://kidoz.net site. They displayed on particular game on the blog page. The game was a math game geared towards 3-7 years old. It actually seemed like a game my 1.5 year old would sit and look at. It was very interactive and very fun. The goal of the site is to “make learning fun.” Isn’t this the goal of an educator? I don’t think any of us say “let’s make our lessons as boring as possible.” No! We want to challenge and mold our students not bore them. I was my future students to grow. If sites like these are a way for me to impact a child’s learning then these sites will be incorporated into my classroom. Also the games can be put onto a computer, phone or tablet. This makes this site an easily accessible learning game site. This would make a good reinforcement in my future special needs classroom. There are very bright colors, appropriate sounds, and lots of learning games. This tool would be a great motivator for students who want to earn games. This game site would be perfect for a school computer in any room because it blocks secondary site from infringing on the computer and it won’t allow for the child to click on inappropriate sites. I would say it’s a win-win situation with www.Kidoz.net!

Thing 5

What does school 2.0 mean to me? Before really diving into the articles listed I would have said web 2.0 means a giant headache. Now, with an open mind and less naive view, I would say it’s an interactive learning tool (in the simplest of forms). It’s a constructive continuous feedback type of learning. It’s more than an interactive journal. It’s a new way of teaching. It’s a means of tailoring learning to the individual and a stepping stone for teaching outside the box. This phrasing might sound silly, but, it’s who I need to become as an educator. I not only want to use tools like this I want to be this versatile and flexible in my teaching. I want to offer all the different learning styles in each lesson I teach. Web 2.0 is a means to becoming a master teacher.

I read through all the links on the 23things page and I found a couple of the links extremely insightful. One link suggested plugging into social networking, which I’m sure most of us in class have accomplished at least some form of Facebook. The same site also suggests participating so learning takes place. Comments and participation are how people build knowledge. They read and discuss to get their brain stimulated. http://www.stevehargadon.com/2008/03/web-20-is-future-of-education.html those suggestions came from this blog forum.

One the 50 different ignored web 2.0 list that didn’t make the cut, I found some incredible sites. The google art project lets you see art from museums around the world. I also loved the kidblogg.org. What a fabulous idea to give kids accesses to a blog so they can do creative journals and communicate through writing whereas they might have just stayed silent had the blog not been available. The site also provides some great photo editing tools that would come in handy for class projects.

I know the question asks what does web 2.0 mean for schools of the future. I’m not convinced it’s a school of the future. It should be called web 2.0 for the present. The idea of web 2.0 has been in place for some time now. Schools should be “gung-ho” to get this in their classrooms. Web 2.0 means that every child will have a lesson taught/tailored specifically to their needs as the learner. This would mean that every child is given equal opportunity to learn as much as they can in the short time they are in the classroom.

Thing 4

         Commenting on a blog isn’t just about getting your name in lights, it’s about community and making a contribution to the conversation. http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/2006/08/how-to-comment-like-king-or-queen.html said making a comment like “Yeah” or “Right on” may make the author feel good, but of more interest to conversation participants is "Why do you think it is right on?" If you don't care, don't comment, but if something truly resonates with you and you have something to share, do it!” I know how good I feel when I make a point that resonates and attracts a lot of interest. I love making people think and that’s what a good comment does; it makes people think! Facilitating conversation, community and thought should be a high goal for the effective blogger.

http://www.problogger.net/archives/2006/10/12/10-techniques-to-get-more-comments-on-your-blog/ I guess a typical problem for bloggers is actually getting hits on their blogs. On the previously posted link they state 10 ways to increase blog activity. It suggests that you could ask open-ended questions. It gives something for other bloggers to write about. If they feel you have already answered all the questions they will likely look elsewhere where their comments are needed. It also suggests that you invite or ask for comments to encourage people to post on your blog.      

Classmate's Blog Comments

1) I wrote on Jessica Brown’s blog at http://jbrown2526.blogspot.com/2013/09/mommy-wow-im-blogger-now-thing-2.html. She basically said she wasn’t a fan of the blog nation. I responded to that first post of “mommy wow! I’m a blogger now!”

 2) I also wrote on Brooke Cox blog http://brookecoxsped93.blogspot.com/2013/09/favorite-childrens-books-and-authors.html?showComment=1380080233328#c5985328845890140894. She asked for suggestions for children's books and I gave her several different ones that I love. They ranged from K-5th or 6th grade.
3) http://airwin3040.blogspot.com/2013/09/thing-3.html?showComment=1380082166480#c6066742495843784934 I commented on Ms. Irwin's blog for thing 3. She had some great comments on using a blog for journal responses to reading assignments. I mention how it could also be beneficial for special needs students as well.
4)  http://kitchens23thingsjourney.blogspot.com/2013/09/thing-6.html?showComment=1380116382224#c1247007860666018234
I commented on Kayla Kitchens blog for thing 6. She found this app she was so excited about. She attracted my attention because of her excitement. I commented that I would be downloading the app to my phone so I can stay organized.
5)  http://lbowlinapsu.blogspot.com/2013/09/thing-4.html#comment-form
I commented on Laken Bowlin's blog for Thing 4. She used pretty much the same sites I did from the 23 things blog site. I just acknowledged that I agreed with her perspective and that I also love pintrest as a resource for teaching.

Outside Source Blog Comments

1) http://www.stevehargadon.com/2008/03/web-20-is-future-of-education.html 

He posted a list of ten trends that he thinks have particular importance for education and learning, and then discusses seven steps he thinks educators can take to make a difference using Web 2.0.

This is part of my response to his blog: As I was reading through your "food for thought" I think it is necessary to learn all you can, and in response to the learning you should communicate back what you have learned. By restating what you learned you are showing comprehension. Maybe that's what it means to be overloaded and produce more info???
I'm glad to be getting involved in Web 2.0.
2)  http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/2006/08/how-to-comment-like-king-or-queen.html
Coolcat teacher blog was about commenting. She writes "Commenting has truly been the fuel that has fired readership for my blog and opportunity for me. It is also part of being a responsible blogger in general. If one is an expert, I guess they may just want to keep their "wisdom" on their own blog, but the true conversation participants are those who contribute to the discussion wherever the blog posting is. There are several techniques for effective commenting that I try to follow." She then lists several ways in which she believes comments are most useful/ways in which to get comments.
My response was "Thank you for your post. I am new to the blog world. I honestly don't know the do and don't of commenting (well, that is until now). often I'm nervous about commenting on other peoples blogs because I feel I'm probably too inexperienced to make a contribution to the conversation. I love the idea of open-ended questions to facilitate conversation."

Thing #3

Thing #3

            At first I was a skeptic about the whole blog idea. Blogging was for the misunderstood person to relate who they are. As the class has progressed I have found I enjoy the blog idea. I can see several ways that blogs could be a beneficial tool for teachers. A few ways I could use a blog in my teaching are communication, classwork/homework assignments, and interactive lectures.

            Communication with parents, students and staff is essential for a master teacher. Sometimes parents don’t read the school newsletter or handouts sent home. A blog would provide an easy access area for parents to interact with school news such as field trips and special events. It’s also a friendly way for parents in the class to get to know one another. It can also be a helpful tool for students to get to know their peers interests and to relate to teacher, parents and peers.

            More often than not I have found that parents don’t know how to help their children with their homework due to the changing times. A blog would provide the essential meeting spot for parents to present questions about the homework so they can help their students complete assignments. Lets be honest, I had no idea what the lattice method of math was until I took a teaching math class back in 2007.  The new way of teaching students is foreign to parents and a blog would be an open and inviting place for them to communicate their questions. Also if students lose their assignment books (which none of ours will; laughing to myself as I type that) this blog could provide a schedule of assignments due and the dates on which they are required to be completed.

            A blog could also be a great place to post lectures from the day on any material that is vital for the student’s success. Lets say you had a student who was absent and needed to make up the work (because unfortunately the work missed was essential scaffolding knowledge that you were going to build on in the next lesson). A recorded podcast of a specific lecture could be extremely beneficial to that student’s success.

            There are many other ways that a blog could be utilized and beneficial for teaching but I wanted to list just a few obvious reasons. I will definitely utilize a blog when I start teaching.