Thing #12

Google has so many things to offer other than just being a search engine. I use several of their tools on a regular basis such as Goggle Maps and now Goggle Reader. The two Google tools I chose to explore were Google Alerts and Google Translate. I set up a Google Alert for one of my favorite bands so I will know when they release their upcoming tour dates. Google Translate was also a really cool tool. I have used other online translators in the past, but Google Translate has a lot of neat features that I have not seen on some of the other translating sites such as the keyboard that lets you type with the different language characters, the “listen” function which lets you hear how the words are pronounced, and the “word usage example” function.

I can see both of these Google tools being very useful in the classroom. Google Alerts can help you find information and resources on whatever subject you are teaching and keep you up to date on any news related to your field. Students can also use Google Alerts for various projects such as keeping up with current events or finding information on a certain research topic. Google Translate can also be helpful in the classroom, by helping you communicate with an ESL student or with students learning another language.

Thing #11

The two search tools I found easiest to use for finding RSS feeds were Google Blog Search and Technorati. Google Blog Search is just like doing a regular Google search that everyone is already familiar with. I had never heard of nor used Technorati before, but I liked the site. Because Technorati is specifically a blog directory, it was easier to narrow down my search and find blogs related to what I was searching for. I tried to use Topix, but it was pretty confusing and I didn’t really find any specific blogs in my search. Most of the blogs I added to my RSS feed were found on Technorati. I added several teaching blogs and history blogs that I think will be useful in the future.

Thing #10

Before discovering RSS, I was using the old way of going to my favorite websites and checking to see if there were any new updates. But now, RSS feeds have made that process a lot simpler and quicker. I have seen that little orange RSS button before on websites, but never really knew what it was. Now I know that I can just click on the orange button and all the information can now come to me in one place. I love that I can just go to my Google Reader and it brings up all the sites that I would normally check on a daily basis in a centralized location, so I can quickly click on whatever new post or article I want to read and not have to search and refresh individual web pages.

Using RSS feeds can be very helpful to teachers because it creates an easy way to stay up-to-date on news and information related to the teaching profession as well as your subject area. If you follow teacher blogs, it allows you to stay connected with other professionals and can help you find lesson plans and ideas to utilize in your classroom. Your students can also utilize RSS feeds to get information on news and current events or follow different feeds related to what they are studying at the moment.

Thing #9

Using the image generators was fun. There are a lot of different things you can come up with using the various designs and options out there. The two sites I used were Image Chef   (http://www.imagechef.com/) and Comic Strip Generator (http://www.comicstripgenerator.com/). Creating the actual images was a pretty easy process. You just type in what you want to say in the text box and click create. I think image generators provide a great way to add some creative touches to your PowerPoints and to the classroom blog. They also provide a fun way to grab the students' attention and make announcements about upcoming assignments, events, and other classroom news.

Thing #8

There was a lot to see and discover browsing through the different mashups in the Flickr App Garden. I found several interesting apps, but discovered that there were some limitations in using them if you didn’t create a Flickr account. I came across some cool Flickr Apps that I could use in my future history classroom on http://www.whatsthatpicture.com/. This website has created an interactive timeline and an interactive map of Flickr Commons images that make historic pictures easy to locate by time period or location.

Just for fun, I played around with a few mashups such as Mosaic Maker and Spell with Flickr. See below:

 

1. santorini_g5628, 2. Santorini, 3. santorini, 4. Greece!



I enjoyed learning about mashups and can definately see a lot of uses for Flickr and the mashups in the classroom. The possibilities are endless.

Thing #7

Exploring Flickr was fun. This was my first time using the site, but I found it to be pretty interesting and user friendly. One part of the site I really liked was “The Commons” where several museums and archives have come together to share their photography collections.  I also really enjoyed exploring the Library of Congress Flickr page and the historic photos that they have posted. I will definitely be utilizing these resources in my future history classes.

It was fun to type in various things in the search bar and see what photos popped up. When searching for photos of Greece, I came across this beautiful photo from the Sanctuary of Apollo at Delphi. Located on the side of Mount Parnassus, Delphi is one of the most beautiful and majestic places I have ever seen and I believe this photo captures that well. In ancient times, Delphi was one of the most important sacred sites because it was home to the famous Delphic oracle and was also considered to be the center of the world. While studying abroad in Greece, Delphi was my favorite ancient site to visit by far. Browsing through the different photos on Flickr is a great way to reminisce about past travels and experiences. 

Photo by Pinox67 on Flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pinox67/3054162062/

Thing #6

The Web 2.0 site I chose to explore was Historypin.com (http://www.historypin.com/).  Historypin is a really fun site that allows anyone around the world to “pin” their historical photos to Google Maps. So for example, say you found an old photo in your attic of your grandpa standing in front of the old courthouse in your town you could upload the photo and pin it to the location that the picture was taken. Then you could use the street view function to compare the photo with how the location looked then and how it looks now. You can even leave a personal story about your photo for people to read. 

You can also search for photos by place or by time or even by subject. For example, I typed in “Athens” and “Parthenon” and it brought up several photos of the Parthenon dating from 1849 to 2011. I really enjoyed reading the personal story one man posted about his trip to the Parthenon. He posted a picture of himself in his Navy uniform sitting in front of the Parthenon in 1962. He wrote about his experiences in Greece and described the “goose bumps” he felt looking up at the Acropolis. 

 

Seeing these pictures and reading the stories that go with them really helps bring history to life and that's why I believe this site could be a very useful tool in my history classroom. If we are talking about a certain place or event, Historypin may have some useful photos to help create a visual for my students. For example, if we are talking about World War II and I type in “Europe” and “World War II", all kinds of pictures come up of soldiers, artillery, buildings with bomb damage, VE/VJ Day celebrations, etc. And with some pictures, people have left personal stories which helps put you in the mindset of what it must have been like to be there during that time. Rather than just lecturing about an event it always helps to have some kind of visual to bring it to life and a story to relate to, so students can feel some kind of connection to what we are discussing and really become interested in history.

Thing #5

            I didn’t know what Web 2.0 was until I started this class. Web 2.0 describes the various sites and internet resources out there that allow users to interact and collaborate with each other rather than just passively viewing a website. Some examples of Web 2.0 include blogs, wikis, social networking, video sharing sites, podcasts, etc. With the abundance of all these free resources available, teachers should definitely take advantage of them in the classroom. Web 2.0 is changing education in a big way by making learning a more collaborative effort, making access to information easier and faster than ever before, and creating new learning environments for students.

                The trends that Steve Hargadon discusses regarding the two way nature of the internet were very interesting. He points out that Web 2.0 has created a tidal wave of information. Anyone can contribute information through sites such as Wikipedia. It has made people more participative by allowing people to comment and state their opinions on just about anything. It creates a collaborative atmosphere and social learning. It truly is changing the way people learn and how they go about doing it.

To me, “School 2.0” means using these new resources and tools to better engage students in new ways of learning. Technology is changing every day and so must our schools to keep up. Students are already using various forms of technology in their everyday lives, so it only makes since to incorporate these things into their activities at school. Schools of the future are going to have to continue to adapt to meet the technological needs of their students. With technology progressing as fast as it is today, what will our schools look like in 10, 20, 30 years from now? It’s exciting to think about.

Thing #4

Blogs create a place for people with similar interests to come together and discuss ideas and thoughts. Commenting helps foster that sense of community because it allows people to interact with each other by sharing their ideas, opinions, and concerns. It allows people to become part of a global conversation on whatever topic interests them. People have a need to voice their opinions and let their concerns be known and being part of a blogging community gives them an outlet to use that puts them in contact with other like-minded individuals.

One thing I found interesting on the “10 Techniques to Get More Comments on Your Blog” blog was the opening statistic which stated: “90% of online community users are lurkers with only 9 % of users contributing ‘a little’ and 1 % actively contributing.”  I believe I definitely fall into the lurker category because I hardly ever leave a comment on anything that I read online. But after reading some of the reasons explaining the importance of commenting, I may change that. For example, the writer on the “Cool Cat Teacher Blog” pointed out that when you comment you are in a sense casting your vote on the importance of a topic. If you want the blogger to address a certain topic in more detail or more frequently, leaving a comment helps the writer know what they should focus on.

Another point in the reading material I found interesting was the importance of responding to the comments that people may leave on your blog. I never really thought about this before, but it makes sense. Not taking the time to interact with your readers kind of defeats the purpose of a blog. Like the “Blue Skunk Blog” points out, by writing in such a public forum bloggers want their writings to be read by others, if they didn’t they would choose to write in a notebook that only they could read. So not only is just polite to respond to commenters, but it also fosters relationships between the readers and the writers of blogs.

The seven blogs I chose to follow and comment on are as follows:

Kasey Howe – I chose to follow her blog because she already teaches history which is what I want to teach, so I am interested in her insights.

Comment posted: “I love your ‘blog pals’ idea. I think that’s a great way to connect students from all over the world to gain new perspectives on various cultures and historical events. In middle school, I had a pen pal in Japan and it was a fun experience to connect with someone from another culture and read her letters describing her interests and way of life.”

Gina Avant – I chose to follow her blog because we sit next to each other and class and help each other a lot.  

Comment posted: “Your avatar is really fun and a great representation of you!”

Bailey Cheben – I really enjoyed her Flickr post.

Comment posted: “St. Peter’s Cathedral is a beautiful place and seeing Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel in person is an awe-inspiring experience. It is amazing how a photo can bring back so many memories and feelings.”

Trish Watanbe – Her blog posts are fun and insightful.

Comment posted: “I think you make a valid point about relying on technology too much. Kids are surrounded with so much technology now days that they may be losing certain skills such as using their imaginations and knowing how to interact with others.”

Bianca McDowell – We seem to have similar views on things.

Comment posted: “I was thinking the same thing when I started my blog about Blogger being very similar to MySpace. It did bring back memories of going online and finding those HTML code backgrounds to put on your page.”

The two other blogs outside of class I have chosen to follow are the “World History Teachers Blog” (http://worldhistoryeducatorsblog.blogspot.com/) and “The History Teacher’s Attic” (http://www.historyteachersattic.com/) - These blogs are written by high school history teachers so I think they will give me some good insights and ideas to use in my future classroom.