One Last Thing...

My favorite thing to take from this lesson is the animoto.com video making site. It's awesome app. because it's free and it doesn't require any kind of downloads. It has affected my education because it is something that I will probably use in my own classroom. Teachers and students can use it for educational or recreational purposes. I had the intent of making an educational video, but after playing around with the sire for a while I decided to make comic gold. It had a positive effect on my life because it broadened my technological horizons. I will continue to use the tools I gained from this experience. It was fun, but EXTREMELY time-consuming.

Thing #23 Creative Commons

Yes, it is true...a person can Google life. I simply Googled web. 2.0 23things and wham! There is a blog on blogger.com posted by San Jose State University of the web. 2.0 23things...thank you Helen Blowers for making this semester the equivalent of a place that begins with an h and ends with a l. The university and others (such as APSU) have borrowed the 23things from her, modified them, and used this stuff for different purposes. I don't aspire to use the creative commons in the future in the classroom. I will tell students about it just in case any of them decide that they need a specified copyright...or in case I need one. However, people can set out guidelines/rules/regulations detailing how other people can use their work...It is useful, but not rendered necessary.

Thing #22 Podcasts

I checked out podcastdirectory.com and found a podcast presented by 90.7 WfUV in New York City, New York about Regina Spektor and her new album Far. It was interesting because I saw her perform some songs off the new album November 16, 2009 at the Ryman, but what I didn't know is that it took her 3 years and 4 producers to create the album...it was totally worth the wait. The radio station 90.7 interviewed Spektor about the album and she also played a few songs live...She got the opportunity to work with some amazing producers! I personally have not quite surrendered myself to the podcasting community, but if that was something my students were interested in then I would definitely incorporate it into the classroom. This is a podcast I could possibly listen to regularly depending on the types of music artist they interview and if the artist/genre is played frequently. All of them were simple to use, but I preferred this one the most. I added the WfUV: Take five podcast to my RSS feed...

Thing #21 Animoto

Animoto was a blast and I almost considered getting the upgrade. It was surprisingly similar to the Photobucket Slideshow option but not really...It was super easy surprisingly. All you have to do is mash up a bunch of pictures, add a couple of words, some music, select where the should begin playing on a sound bar, and hit like create or done, or some button with a word to this effect. I would love to use this in a classroom to see what kids would kind of concauctions kids would come up with. I had an extremely pleasant experience using Animoto!

Thing #20 You Tube

YouTube is my counterproductive drug of choice...I love spending hours upon hours of searching through funny videos that will get me nowhere in life. However, there are some really good videos somewhere out there in the far reaches of the world wide web. Some videos deal with live, real life accounts of important/historical events. People can find videos of natural disasters, breaking news, and all sorts of stuff. I just recently used YouTube to find a video about Spina Bifida for a project in my special education class (I am not a special education student, I am just taking a class about special education). I would definitely recommend YouTube to students for research, creating his/her own video profile(s), and entertainment purposes because YouTube can be so hilarious, ha ha. Students and teachers can share, create, and view videos for the sake of higher learning. I don't have anything negative to say about YouTube...it is so multifaceted and simple to use. It seriously has a little bit of something for everyone.

Thing #19 Facebook Myspace

I couldn't beat them, so I joined them...social networking sites are being forced upon us all the time now. I guess for strategical reasons Ning and TeacherPop would be more appealing for the university and to prevent getting hacked. I guess it is for more company oriented and professional public forums. Always good to stay connected...I joined Bake Space because it sounded hilarious...plus who doesn't like food.lol.? A whole social networking site dedicated to the pursuit of culinary. Once again, I wouldn't use any kind of social networking site that is more personal profiles based than simple text and commenting (blog based) because it just leads to trouble. Back to Bake Space...This or a similar site could be used in a classroom setting, a teacher could have students search the site for a new website or something without creating an account that could become personal. Or a teacher could also have students find a recipe to share and post it to a teacher monitored blog.

Thing #18 Social Networking

I have had my facebook and myspace accounts for ages and for the most part, I have enjoyed them thoroughly. This is definitely one of those great power, great responsibility kind of things. I absolutely would not recommend using facebook or myspace in the classroom setting because it can become a bed of trouble. It will have parents and school officials swarming around a teacher in the matter of seconds, I have seen it happen. These could be potentially useful sites in the classroom setting, but human nature definitely wouldn't allow this to happen. Everything in this society has to be misused to be useful I guess. In my opinion, myspace is the most useful because it has the simplest to control and understand apps. I still don't really understand this whole ninja wall, favorite pop diva, and food fight business...too much for a grown to even think of caring about. It is important for teachers to know about social networking, but like I've said I don't think there is any place in the professional realm for these particular types of social networking sites...It has office wars and personal space invasions written all over. I think what the class is doing right now (blogging) is a more appropriate choice. Btw, I am friends with a few of my professors on facebook, and you will find that this is definitely the more tame of the two listed above.lol.

Thing #17 Tagging & Bookmarking

Del.icio.us.com, as previously stated is definitely handier than the bookmarking option already on the computer because of the social aspect. I think for a classroom setting this would be a more desirable feature, but ultimately it honestly is the product of someone with a lot of time on the hands, or really nosy. In the classroom setting teachers and students could share useful sites with one another and sites that enhance lessons or offer extra practice. the apsu23things Del.icio.us account was riddled with people tagging the free classroom and ed. blogs which makes sense considering that most people aspire to become teachers in this class! I was able to see the comments...the site received a lot of positive feedback. I would definitely be willing to give this application a shot in my classroom, but I wouldn't just for personal usage. As for Furl and Mag.nolia...different grade, same grade. I would stick with Del.icio.us simply because it is the more popular of the three.

Thing #16 Getting Organized

Ok, I don't remember which thing it was listed under but I think I have done the customizable start page before (Thing #12)...I chose to do the iGoogle start page because I use Google ALL the time. In fact, it has been my start up page since like the beginning...I absolutely love love love me some Google. Well I chose to add things that interest me such as breaking news, politics, cooking, and entertainment. It is pretty cool because it shows everything you would probably search for anyway on one page without actually having to search the web! Convenient or Lazy? I definitely think it promotes productivity and allows people to make the best out of already extremely limited free time. The calendar can be useful because most of us check our computers at least once a day...It is like the to-do list only nicer in my opinion. However the to-do list is ok...they would be good for posting to show or remind students of the daily agenda. I wouldn't place more than one week worth of information at a time on it because a student could look at it and easily become overwhelmed. The mystickies are awesome, I have them tacked everywhere at the moment just because I can I guess. I like the way they look, but honestly they nice for keeping up with stuff found online. I mean they are pretty self-explanatory: virtual sticky note, just like regular ones only virtual. Same purpose, same function. Any of them can be used at home so I say I reckon all of them can be useful for at home, but I use my myspace calendar pretty often because I like to keep people informed and be informed. I checked out the 30 Boxes and that one is good too, if I didn't already have one I would definitely use it. Good stuff.

Thanksgiving Thank-A-Thon

I would like to start off by thanking the Notorious G-O-D and Lil J for getting me and my fiancee through another year! Second, I would like to thank Lady Gaga and Britney Spears for keeping me dancing all year long, especially through troubling times. And...last, but not least, Modcloth for giving me this awesome opportunity. However with all of the said, the person I would like to dedicate this Thank-a-thon to most is my Mother for keeping our family together. I have just recently moved out of my mother's house to pursue my dreams of becoming an attorney and this has been one extremely trying year. She continues to fill me with love, hope, courage, and prayers when the going gets rough. She has fed me when I have needed to use money to eat on rent, and has helped pay rent when I have needed money to eat. Despite being at home supporting my younger sister as a single parent she continues to help me strive for my dreams even at the expense of her own. She is the most selfless person I know. We haven't been able to buy new clothes and other luxuries because we need the money for things required to survive. However, it would be so nice to see her in something new for the holidays because I know she is embarrassed about her appearance, but wouldn't dare to complain about it. I know other people will be writing about things of more interest and perhaps have posts that make people laugh, but right now the only thing I have to write about comes from my heart. Thank you Momma for being the rock in my life and holding things together when when I didn't know how! I Love you Momma :)
Modcloth Thank-a-Thon

Thing #15 Wiki

I didn't know that wiki was the Hawaiian word for quick, however I was aware of the possibilities wikis offer. The information management, collaborative options, and accessibility of these content managers make wikis appealing to a lot of people from many different professions. The main disclaimer I would throw out there about wikis is that anyone (and I do put heavy emphasis on anyone) can use, edit, and create posted material. Some of the misleading information is easy to recognize and ignore, but some people are pretty good at fabricating fiction into facts. So if you ever see something posted saying that the American Civil War was fought over bakeries and doughnuts that is a clear telltale sign that you might not want to use information from that particular wiki database. The Book Lovers Wiki (developed by the Princeton Library) and the WikiEducator were interesting because both shared some ideas that I would use if I had my own classroom. I like how the Princeton Library encouraged participants by offering prizes for entries. The entries encouraged me to want to read Flushed and start something similar in the school library here. They are convenient because people can't always make it to book club meetings etc. and it could be used synonymously with one so people can later add thoughts to a book or give people who missed the session an opportunity to respond.
The WikiEducator was ok...it provided a lot of extra, but underneath all of that was some pretty good ideas on how to use a wiki in an educational setting. I aspire to take the challenge and create my own wiki. I would use wikis in the classroom to let the students elaborate on each other's ideas, add suggestions or information to my posts, and have fun with it. The APSU 23 Things Sandbox was fun because it allowed me to look back on the 1st blog I posted and elaborate on what I've written because I've learned a lot about technology that I didn't know and it is kind of fun to see how a lot of my opinions have changed.

Thing #14 Go With The Flow

This activity was the light at the end of the tunnel for me, I can honestly say this part of the project brought out the "Positive Patty" inside me. I chose to use Gliffy.com (flowchart) and Bubble.us.com (mind map). I liked the flowchart options better because it was kind of similar to the mind map site only with more options. I could see myself using these tools in a classroom as a fun activity to get students generating ideas or as a project requirement. I will definitely consider using one of these items in an upcoming project to create a handout or something. The Gliffy had more architectural features in my opinion with the whole floor plan business and all, but I like the Bubble.is graphics and simplicity. I like making maps, charts, etc. Overall, very cool.

Thing #13 Zoho Writer

I am not in favor of the "Negative Nancy" view of life, but I am going to have to say the Zoho is definitely a "no-go" for me. In my opinion, Zoho Writer is simply a free version of Microsoft Word which is nice if you do not already haveWord. The only two things I see that Zoho Writer has the cutting edge on over Microsoft is the real-time sharing capabilities and the fact that it is free. I feel like it could be useful in a classroom setting for students to instantaneously share documents, files, etc., but so is pulling up a chair, emailing someone, and few extra mouse clicks. I like some of the aspects of the Zoho, but in the end I am a good ole fashion word girl and until Word gives me a reason to hate it I'm going to keep using it. Perhaps Zoho Writer is simply a cry out for help for a society in love with "instant gratification". We can't google life, how much easier are people wanting things to get?

Thing #12 Google is not Just 4 searching Anymore

I am sad to report that Google Notebook has been replaced by Google Notes *lame*. However, it is sure beating the mess out of this Bing business. I haven't seen anything to ring a bell about yet...I guess I am selfish because I enjoyed all of the Google apps/tools that couldn't be shared. I didn't really have a need for Google Calendar because my myspace account has one and I'm connect to all of my people though it, and Picasa didn't really "do it" for me because I already have the Picasa2 app.. This is why iGoogle and Google Alerts hit the spot for me. iGoogle was fin because you could add a scrabble board (my favorite), time lines, and all kinds of possibly useful gadgets. I enjoyed the Google Alerts because it was a nice way of waving goodbye to junk and saying hello to the things you really want in life. This is my first time using it but currently I have Barack Obama, Regina Spektor, and my zodiac sign on list of things to track. Google Alerts could be very useful in the classroom not only for keeping the keeps up to date with things important to the class, but also with things the students are interested in as well.

Thing #3

So I was thinking to myself, "Why isn't my stuff posting to D2L"? This is when I realized I had forgot about Thing #3. "He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you"-Friedrich Nietzsche. I think you have to be careful with these kinds of things, but blogs can be very useful! A teacher could use them for reading assignments to get an idea of what the students think about a book or to track what they are learning. (Believe it or not) Some students enjoying writing about their experiences, so blogging could make a good bellringer to get students in the mood to learn. At home students could have classroom discussion boards, homework assignments (we know how forgetful students can be about homework.lol), and post class related stuff. It is important to give students a chance to be able to control what goes in the classroom and what they learn about...because afterall it is their classroom too. Blogging would give teachers a chance to assist students outside the classroom, store reflections, and make notes about things that work and do not work in class. It is also a good way for teachers and students to get connected to teachers and students outside of their classroom, state, ot country. Overall, decent stuff I pose.

Thing #11 Finding Good Feeds

I found Technorati and Topix.net to be the easiest sites to navigate. However, I found it much easier to just search for RSS feeds using the standard Google homepage. It is a quick, easy, and hassle-free way to find exactly what is wanted (minus the fluff). Topix.net was interesting because it provided users with local news as well as other information. (I am semi-egotistically) Technorati was a little bit too opinionated for me. I prefer subscribing to blogs and sites with more credibility (ex. CNN, Channel 5 News, etc.) My friends tend to be my inner circle of knowledge outside of the educational setting...We are like the view only better, and without the pointless cat fights. The most unusual blog postings I found were about a teenage boy named Fred who gained popularity by making his voice sound like he was crunk on helium. I didn't understand and didn't even want to make an attempt at understanding. Syndic8.com and feedster were time consuming and possibly could have potential but I am too much of a grandma to leave Google alone *sad I know* I did like the jobs search option on feedster, the others could have had it but it stood out to me when I saw it on this particular site.

Thing #10 Really Simple Syndication

RSS feeds are awesome because (being the secret narcissistic person that I am) it allows me to keep up with the things I care about and (most importantly) it eliminates the middle man. The Google (RSS) Reader intrigued me the most because I am like a senior citizen...set in my ways. I have been using google for a longtime and it appears to be on many occasions tends to be the internet weapon of choice for me. The readers are good for staying current, convenient look-ups, and personal gossip news needs. A teacher could use RSS to check student's blogging projects (such as this one), current events projects/classroom lectures, and keeping life as compactly organized as possible. I really enjoyed this technology because I was feeling a little technologically impaired. I seriously did not know about the whole Google Reader and Bloglines business.

Thing #9 Online Image Generators

I'm sure there are flocks of teenage girls using these image generators to make Jonas Brothers posters for concerts (this statement will surely date this work when I look at it in the future). Overall, I liked these free online applications. A teacher could use them to "jazz up" classroom displays or visual lecturing aids. The process was pretty easy, simply place some text in the text box and select preview. The images I chose are not reflective of any kind of "hidden" agenda or crudeness contest, they are just a collection of random thoughts, words, and images I had during my creative process. Seriously, super easy and a class could could catch before another teenage has the chance to make more of those posters we all love to hate. For more image generators and to create some of the signs found on my page, just click on one (or all) of the images above and enjoy.

Thing #4

*ugh* Can you say time consuming? Commenting is important because without commenting there would be no blogging communities or interaction. People sometimes have this annoying tendency to comment on blogs that the world should fade out. For example, a blog about a moldy sandwich went on for over a year until super crazed fan bloggers realized somewhere people were laughing at them. So with this said, blogging can be a double-edged sword. I think if someone is interested in a blog that it would be nice if he/she dropped in and left a cool comment or demanded an "encore" blog...support intelligent blogs. I read How to comment like a king (or queen!) and 10 techniques to get more comments on your blog and both of them hit a little too close to the self-explanatory home for me. Someone has to give some to get some and the same goes for the blogging community. Spam is abundant so beware and there are also (good and bad) risks that come along with using an alias or a real name. I follow Taylor Swift's blog because it is one of the few celebrity blogs posted by the actual celebrity instead of a 24hr. life assistant. The other blog I chose was my friend Anna's blog because we are interested in the same types of things and tend to keep other informed about things evolving around our community. The five blogs I chose from our classroom community group were: Darth Vaden, My Journey, Forever Ferrell, Dorris Educates America, and Julianne Ventress. I left these people encouraging comments because I enjoyed what each one had to say regardless of whether or not I agreed. The comments I left were too long to go into specific detail, however I hope this encouraged them to continue writing and sense of "community.

Thing#8 Flickr Mashups

*Wow* I honestly feel like I've been living under a rock because I had no idea that some of this stuff even existed. I love Spell with flickr because it is simple and can be used by anyone who knows how to type. I think this would be an awesome first day tool for younger children in school. They could make name-tags for the desks or do something fun with spelling words with this web application. In fact, I think I'm about to use this to make something for my facebook or myspace page using this app. I'm slowly starting to find out that I'm not the big "computer know-it-all" that I once thought I was.lol.

Thing #7: Flickr

I chose the second option for this blog simply because it had "the more FUN option" set off in parentheses (I would have to concur). This was my first time ever using flickr and I like that it has a more "sophisticated" crowd than photobucket (plus there are more feautures!). In my opinion, photobucket has too many teenage boys and girls taking pictures of their "scene hair" and things they find to be interesting or original when it probably isn't. Flickr could be incorporated into the classroom or library if students have his/her own blog, or perhaps even a classroom blog. It is a good way to import pictures from PC's, Mac's, or the internet. I don't have any fears about the pictures being posted in a public place (hence the privacy filter), however I would be concerned about monitoring the student's content because more than likely you are going to be working with minors. I don't flickr would be a very successful tool with the youngsters unless perhaps a permission slip was passed out and signed by the parents of each student. Basically unless the proper precautions are taken, flickr should be for personal usage. Overall, my flickr experience was pleasant and I am definitely switching over to this photo sharing site instead. I chose to upload a picture I took last Valentine's Day with my cell phone of a box of chocolates someone I love very dearly gave me.

Thing #6: Discovering Web 2.0 Tools

I chose yahoo answers because it is a fun site that allows you to ask, answer, explore, and social network with other people. I wouldn't use this site to answer life's most difficult questions, however this would be a great site for people to gather perspectives, generate ideas, or as a resource to hunt for accredited research information (people usually post links to .edu, .gov, and .org websites to back-up their assumptions). You can converse with other yahoo answers users via email, instant messaging, and by commenting on other people's questions. This site could definitely be incorporated into a school or library setting because it would allows for people to share knowledge and have discussion boards locally and globally. yahoo answers is simple and (my favorite word) free. I like to think of it as a productive version of facebook.

Thing #5: Perpectives on Web/School 2.0 and the future ed.

I think the term "School 2.0" is beginning to solely mean electronic hands-on education. It is evident that educators and students of the past survived without all of these electronic innovations just fine. I read the Minds on Fire and New Literacies article and there seems to be this huge societal push for more computer-based learning than necessary. I think web 2.0 is paving the way for lazier students, poor grammar, high unemployment rates, and a more detached classroom environment. Technology is a great thing in moderation, but soon there won't be a high demand in these classrooms of the future, and I think a real human educator is one of the greatest influences a child could have in his/her life. The majority of computer users are leaning in the enrichment direction instead of the essential.

The Blogging Experience

I would like to start off by saying the Dopple Dolls are adorable! I've used avatars in the past but these surpass the others in cuteness by about ten fold. I chose the name of my blog because it is simple and to the point: My name is Amed and this is my blog (ha). This particular blogging experience was not very easy for because I had to keep in mind that I was not writing this as something to be enjoyed by my friends and family, but as a professional piece to be read by one of my professors. I'm not insinuating that I don't try to maintain a professional standard in everything I do, I am simply stating that it was a bit different. I chose an avatar that resembles my true self instead of an alias because I enjoy being myself and I encourage everyone else to do the same (I have clearly listened to the Sing Along School Bus tapes a time too many, but I have found them to be pretty effective (true story).

Lifelong Learning & Laerning

Lifelong learning is important because it places great emphasis on learning for a lifetime. The message is positive and simple, a person is never too young or too old to learn. I am glad that I made the decision to continue my education and enhance my lifelong learning skills. I find myself having the most trouble with Habit #7 & 1/2 because I never seem to be able to find time for fun due to an overload of homework. I have the least amount of trouble with Habit #1 because I always tend to begin with the end in mind, and I always try to visualize the intrinsic and extrinsic rewards I could possibly earn from reaching my goals. I tend to have extremely unrealistic goals because I always strive for perfection. I'm simply just an airplane trying to be a starship.