Thing 10: Online Productivity Tools

I really enjoyed exploring Zoho Docs. At first, my thought was how could anything be better than Google Docs. I've gotten so used to using Google Docs that I am a little biased. But, I was pleasantly surprised with Zoho Docs. It is user friendly, and while it's similar to Google Docs, I actually found it to have some perks that Google doesn't. I created a document and called it my to-do list. I tried figuring out how to post it to my blog but was having some problems doing so. I also explored creating a spreadsheet which I actually do a lot with Google, so I think I will try my next one that I make in Zoho.

Overall, it just seems like Zoho has more options than Google. I could be wrong, since I've only used Google Docs for word docs and spreadsheets, but the Zoho layout seemed to have a lot of tabs and options. I like that you can upload music, pictures, and videos as well. You can also use tags to help organize your documents and create your own groups. I think as I spend more time practicing and using Zoho, I'll feel even more comfortable and confident with using all it has to offer.

Thing 9: Play with Wikis

I enjoyed reading the many posts that others have put on the Technology Poppers Wiki. I got a lot of great ideas from it and think it serves a great purpose of collaborating with other professionals in the teaching field. Posting my idea to it was easy to do, and I didn't have any problems with it.

I think having a school wide wiki at my school would be so beneficial to many of the teachers. Each of us could go in and post about technology tools we've used in our own classrooms that went over well and we feel others could benefit from trying too and possibly those that didn't go over well. It would be a time saver for many, and they could avoid trying ideas that may not have worked well within the classroom for someone else. It could be a sounding board for teachers; a way to collaborate and make teaching more effective for the students and teachers.

Thing 8: Wikis

Prior to this class, I was not familiar with wikis at all. After exploring some of the wikis listed, I understand the concept of them a little bit better, but I still have a lot to learn about them. I really enjoyed looking at the Book Lovers Wiki, because I think it's a great idea to have peer book reviews on books before choosing what to read next. I think students could really benefit from this idea, and it provides an opportunity for all students to use it since they all are required to read for school. Not only is this a great tool for students, but teachers and other adults could benefit from it as well when they make their reading selections.

I also enjoyed looking at the Educator Wikis. They gave multiple examples of teacher wikis that already exist that I could explore and get ideas from. I love that the kids really get involved and participate in using the wikis. Like I said earlier, I have a lot to learn about wikis, but I think incorporating my own wiki with my students would be a really neat thing. I look forward to learning more about them!

Thing 7: Image Generators

The first image generator I explored was Tagxedo. Although I've definitely heard of this tool before, I've never had personal experience using it. I used my school's website and typed in the name of the school. It created an awesome image comprised of so many of the words that our school stands for. I think one way my students could use this tool would be as part of the social studies unit, European Explorers. They could take the explorer they are assigned and create an image with character traits that describe the explorer.

The other image generator I explorer was Animoto. I have seen a few animoto videos made by others, but I've never created one myself. I had a lot of fun doing it and was amazed at how cool of a product I was able to make in such an easy way. This tool is extremely user friendly, and I think my kids would love making their own product. I could ask each student on the first week of school to make a short 30 second video with pictures that they have from their summer vacation. Then, they could share the videos with their classmates and then tell their friends more about their summer. I think they would have a blast doing something like this, and the kids could learn more about one another in the process.

Thing 6: RSS & Newsreaders

I've heard some about RSS and newsreaders, but I've never had first hand experience with them. Creating an account on netvibes.com was easy, but I would have been lost without the tutorial video. I'm still somewhat confused with it, but I was able to maneuver it some and see how it all works. The concept of it is brilliant, and I love the idea of having all of the regular websites I frequent at one spot. The convenience and time saving aspect of it would be really great! I think the more time I spend getting acquainted with it the more comfortable I'll be and the more I'll actually use it in my daily life for personal and professional purposes.

Is there any danger with putting your email accounts or facebook links on your page? I wonder if by having those on there it would increase your chances of someone being able to get into your accounts? Just a thought; I'm sure the answer is no, since so many people choose to do so, but it is something I thought about and felt a bit hesistant about.

Thing 5: Have Some Flickr Fun

I realized after starting to look that there are a number of different 3rd party tools out there to use your photos with to do neat things. I used one called Jigsaw, and it was extremely easy to use. I simply uploaded a picture of my favorite wine that I'd taken at dinner one night and imported it to the Jigsaw application. Below is what it looks like:

Thing 4: Flickr

DSC01359, a photo by deemoore321 on Flickr.

This is a picture I uploaded through Flickr of my fiance and I while on vacation with family this summer. We visited Perdido Key, FL, and we had a blast!

I enjoyed perusing Flickr and getting somewhat aquainted with it. It's very user friendly and easy to upload pictures.

Thing 3: Photos and Images

This is my fiancé, Bobby, and I. This picture was taken on August 2, 2013, minutes after we got engaged. We took a limo to our favorite restaurant for dinner and celebrated afterward with family and friends. It was a great and memorable night! I can't wait to marry my best friend!

Thing 2: Blogging

I have created a handful of educational blogs in the past, unfortunately, only to use them once or twice and then never again. A positive in that is that I'm somewhat familiar with the blogging process, but the negative is that my familiarity is vague and not what I wish it would be at this point. I've been to a handful of professional development courses where we are guided in setting up a blog. It is such a great concept, and I get so excited about all of the potential ways I could use it as a teaching tool. But, reality quickly sets in and I slowly forget it about using it as the many other duties of being a teacher take over. This time, though, I'm committed to really giving it an honest and fair try. I'm really looking forward to getting comfortable with the concept of a blog and introducing it to my students. I would like to get to the point where I can assign homework and other activities that my students would complete via the blog on their home computers. I think it's so important that we start teaching kids how to interact with each other over the web and through safe sites like class blogs, because they are growing up in a world that day by day is becoming more technology driven. Why not start preparing them at a young age for something that is inevitable?

While creating my blog, I took the free advice and picked an easy to remember name that went with what type of blog this was; 16 things. I picked a template I liked and got familiar with the settings and security options. I did comment on one person's blog, that completed the 16 things in the same course during a previous semester, about how much I enjoyed viewing it. It helped get me started in the right direction. I'm looking forward to seeing what my other classmates come up with, so we can offer ideas and learn from one another.

Ready, set... blog on! :)

Thing 1: Lifelong Learning

The first time I heard the term "lifelong learner" I was a student at Texas A & M University. One of my Education professors told our class that for the rest of our lives at future educators and members of society we needed to view ourselves as lifelong learners. She referred to it as a buzz word in the education world; that it would be a quality that our future employers would find it imperative for us to have.

I thought to myself, what does it really mean to be a lifelong learner? Is everyone automatically one, or is it something that you have to commit to being and have a necessary attitude in order to embody it? After pondering that thought, I decided it was definitely something you decide and choose to "be". You must possess an attitude and outlook on life that you will for the rest of your life be open to learning new things and at no given point or time will know it all. I love that thought! I suppose for some people to prefer to have the answer to everything, it could possibly drive them crazy, but I enjoy the idea that I never have to know everything or be perfect. Instead, I am a work in progress, always bettering myself and acclimating to the inevitable changes that life brings in areas of work, school, family and friends.

The tutorial on the 7 1/2 Habits of Highly Successful Lifelong Learners reminded me of some helpful tips that can help one to be a learner for the rest of his/her life. They include:
1. Begin with the end in mind.
2. Accept responsibility for your own learning.
3. View problems as challenges.
4. Have confidence in yourself as a competent, effective learner.
5. Create your own learning toolbox.
6. Use technology to your advantage.
7. Teach/mentor others.
7 1/2. Play!

Out of those 7 1/2 habits, for me the easiest one to possess is accepting responsibility for your own learning, and the hardest one for me to possess is viewing problems as challenges.

I've realized over time that what I get out of school, work, relationships, etc. is directly related to what I put into it. My learning is up to me, and I take full responsibility for it. As an adult, if I want to learn something new or better myself in a specific area, it is up to me to make that happen. I have the tools to do so, and only I can and should take the necessary steps to make that happen for myself.

One thing I know to be true is I am more successful in the long run if I take something that presents itself as a problem and turn it into a challenge that I can work to meet and overcome. Having said that, it is something that I need to work on and am not currently the greatest at. Typically, when I have a lot on my plate and I run into roadblocks or problems, I allow it get me down and I get stressed and worn out. I'd love to get better at changing my attitude in times like that and look at those times as opportunities to dig deep within myself and work to meet a challenge head on with a positive attitude.

I look forward to all of the opportunities that await me down the road, where I can better myself as a person and continue to grow as a lifelong learner. Here is a link to my personal learning contract. It is one way that I am trying to stay organized, so despite that things are busy and I have a lot going on, I can still achieve my goals and stay on top of my commitments while learning new things at the same time!