Is It the End, or Just the Beginning?

I am so glad that I did the 23 Things assignment this semester.  I was never too interested in computers (mostly because I did not know how to use the different applications in it), but now I am much more confident in my abilities. 

One of my favorites Things from this project was discovering the Animoto site.  I was amazed at how simple it was to create a decent-looking video that I was proud to show other people.  I know I will be using that site again in the future. 

This program has affected my lifelong learning goals because I now know that I do not have to be afraid to try new things on my computer, and that great things can come from using the resources around me.  This will influence my practice as a teacher because I now have multiple resources that I know I can turn to for good and useful information for my classroom.

I cannot wait to use Web 2.0 tools in the future.  I am excited to see where they will go and how I can use them in my future classroom.  This was a great experience and I am glad that I am now a more knowledgable person in the world of computers, and more specifically, all of the Web 2.0 tools that are out there.

Thing # 23

In order for me to figure out that the 23 Thins Blog was based on someone else's creation, I started looking in the 23 Things FAQ page.  When I was reading through the questions, I found one that asked about the 43 Things page.  This was an obvious indicator that the idea for 23 Things came from another site.  Since the 43 Things page was mentioned in the FAQ page, it is giving credit to that site, making it OK to use.  Now that I have knowledge on Creative Commons, I now know how to give people credit for their work properly.  I now feel more confident with using other people's work in my classroom in the future because I can give them the proper credit for their work.

Thing # 22

The titles of the binders I created are Web 2.0, Useful K-6 Sites, and Multiplication Sites.  I will admit that when I first started my account on LiveBinder, I was apprehensive.  I did not really see the use in it and was worried I would not like it.  It turns out, however, I was wrong.  I love that I can essential "bookmark" all of my favorite sites in one place and have them all at my fingertips. 
I tried to embed one of my binders on to my page, but I was having a lot of trouble with that and could not figure out how to do it.
I think that I would use this site in my classroom for many reasons.  It is a great way to stay organized.  I can keep all of my favorite websites in one place and be ready to use them whenever the opportunity arises.

Thing # 19

Overall, I think that TeacherPop is a useful site.  I like that there are multiple blogs, photos, and videos that I can view that can benefit my future classroom.  I decided to post my badge to my blog and upload a video to my TeacherPop page. 

When I explored the other social networks, I particularly enjoyed www.flixter.com.  I am a big movie watcher so I liked that it let me know how popular movies are, what is in the theatre, and what is soon to come out.  I also liked that I was able to search for movies by genre. 

The only networking sites that I am a member of are Facebook, Twitter, and TeacherPop.  I would say that I am definitely most active on my Facebook page, since I had this page the longest and I have more "friends,"photos, and videos on this site. 

Thing # 21

I am completely impressed with Animoto!  I never thought I would be able to create a video!  On top of that, I decent-looking video!  I enjoyed working on this Thing, probably more than any of the other Things.  One thing I instantly thought of when using Animoto, was that a teacher could use this when making, for example, an end-of-year video of the class including all of the things they've done that year.  Although that is just one example, this can be used in the classroom in more than one way.  I definitely plan on using the Animoto site again in the future in both my personal life and my professional one as well.

Thing # 20

I chose this video for my blog because, as it says in the description of the video, it is a homage to Web 2.0.  It shows how the computer and internet have evolved over the years and it shows the different sites and applications people use with Web 2.0 tools. 

Personally, I love YouTube.  I am constantly on this site, however it is usually for my own entertainment rather than informational uses.  I could very much so see how this site could be useful in the classroom, since it has millions of videos that can be used in educational ways.  Although there are many videos on this site that are extremely un-useful in the classroom, if you know what you are doing, you are bound to find something that could help you out.

Thing # 18

I have had a Facebook page for quite some time now, and I am pretty sure I have a slight addicition.  It is so easy to navigate and search for friends, interests, games, and even educational pages such as Cool Cat Teacher.  When it comes to Twitter, however, I did not have an account until I started this course.  I did find it to be very interesting, though.  Not only can you search your own personal interests, but you can also search educational pages, such as TeachersNet and educationnation. 

It is important for educators to know how to work social networking sites because if they are used correctly, it is possible to find pages that can help aid you in the classroom such as the ones listed above. 

This Thing did not really help me gain any new insights on Facebook or Twitter, since I have had both accounts for quite some time now (Facebook much longer than Twitter).  I would say that I like Facebook more than I like Twitter, simply because I am more comfortable with the site since I have had it longer.  I also think that while Facebook allows you to search for educational pages, I personally think that Twitter provides more in this area.  The pages like the ones listed above provide many different ideas and strategies that can be applied in the classroom.