Thing # 12

Google is such an amazing resource, especially for teachers.  I chose to use the Google Calendar and the Google Translate.  I had previously talked about Google Calendar in my Thing 6 because it is what I chose for my emerging resource for Web 2.0 tools.  I love Google Calendar because it is such an easy way to stay organized.  I created a calendar previously, https://www.google.com/calendar/render?pli=1, and I was able to separate my different  tasks by color such as birthdays, holidays, and appointments.  This is awesome for teachers because there is so much work to do, it just makes organization that much easier.

The other tool I chose was Google Translate.  I have played with this before and I love using it.  I took French class in high school and I won't lie when I say that I have forgotten a lot of it.  It is nice to be able to type whatever it was I wanted to know in French and be able to refresh myself on how it should be said.  My link to this website is http://translate.google.com/#en|fr|Do%20you%20speak%20French%3F%0AWhat%20is%20your%20favorite%20color%3F%0AI%20love%20you.%0AI'm%20hungry.%0AI%20am%20a%20female%20American.  I wrote down a few things in English that I wished to know in France and they are written down if any of you would like to view it.  Google Translate can also be useful in the classroom.  Whether you are a foreign language teacher or you are teaching first graders how to count in Spanish, this tool can be used to aid you in that aspect.

I love using Google and I think that it is great that all of these tools are free to the public.  "Googling" things really is what the world has come to and that is definitely not a bad thing.

Thing # 11

I think that these search tools are a great resource.  Of the four that were listed on the 23 Things page, I found that I like using Topix.net and Technorati.com the best.  I liked Topix.net because I liked that on the main page, there was information based on the city you live in.  I simply put in my zipcode and as I scrolled down, I found the latest news on Clarksville, which I thought was great.  I liked Technoarti.com even more because I found a great blog for elementary school teachers on it called Primary Education Oasis.  I felt that Technorati was a little bit easier to use than the other search tools; it was more clear cut and I felt like the results found were more geared toward what I was looking for.  Topix.net did have many results on education, but not exactly what I was looking for. 

Thing # 10

I had always heard the term "RSS" before, but I never knew what it meant.  This tool is amazing! I love that all of my favorite sites are all in one place.  Now I do not have to have five different tabs open at once in order to look at all my favorite sites.  I am all for being as organized as possible and having my Google Reader account set up helps with that tremendously.  I love being able to read updates on all of my most often checked websites all at the same place.  Currently, I follow Confessions of a Pioneer Woman, Cool Cat Teacher Blog, ESPN.com, WSMV News, and The Weather Channel, along with the classmates I chose to follow at the beginning of this assignment. 

Having Google Reader can definitely benefit me in the future as an educator.  This would make it possible for me to link all of my favorite teacher-related blogs in one place and even be able to follow the blogs of fellow teachers.  This just shows another way the Web 2.0 tools help teachers become more advanced in their learning strategies and staying ahead of  the curve with the latest information.

Thing # 9

For  thing # 9, I decided to use the image generator website http://www.imagechef.com/ to create my different images.  I created some images for fun, such as the one to the left and I also created some that had the potential to be in a classroom setting, like the one below.  I had a lot of fun creating these images because, like many of the other projects we are working on, I had never used, let alone heard of these sights before. I think that image generator sights are a great tool.  I of course think that they could be used in a classroom or library setting.  I work in a library and I know that all of the time we are looking for new ideas and ways to create fun signs and these websites could absolutely hep in that aspect.  This goes the same for a classroom setting.  Teachers are always trying to create a colorful and exciting classroom and creating something using these websites could definitely help in that aspect.  They could even be on a powerpoint or other project that the teacher is working on.  This, of course, can also be used for personal use.  People can use this to create cards, flyers, or even to upload to their Facebook page.  These sights are surely a great way to stay creative and have fun. 

Thing # 8

I thought that creating this mashup was very fun.  I had never heard of mashups before so I quite enjoyed exploring all of the different websites and finding some cool ways to use them.  For no particular reason, I chose to use the website Spell with Flickr to creat my name.  I loved how many different options for letters there were and I enjoyed creating this.  I feel that using mashups could be extremely beneficial in the classroom because there are an endless number of things you can create with these tools.  I thought that it would be cool to use the Spell with Flickr tool to create different banners for your classroom or other different things.  The possibilities are endless.

Thing # 7

I found flickr.com to be a very useful site.  I had never used it before, so I was very interested in figuring out how it worked.  After creating an account I spent some time exploring different ways to search for pictures.  I have always found different photos of things in nature to be beautiful so I used the keyword "nature" to search for a picture that I thought I would enjoy.  Sure enough, I discovered an awesome picture of a duck swimming in crystal clear water.  I loved how sharp the image was and how you could see the water just rolling off of the duck's back.  This amazing picture was taken by Cubagallery and can be found here:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/cubagallery/4671360294/

I feel that this website could be extremely useful as a teacher because there are a limitless number of pictures that you can use for references and even to use as part of a lesson plan or to add to a powerpoint.