Thing # 18

https://www.facebook.com/#!/sherry.mcneily

 

 

Hey again!  I mean isn't this going to be the easiest "Thing" EVER!!!  Come on!  Everybody uses facebook!  At least, everybody that is BREATHING!  :) :) :)  I love FB because it allows me to connect with friends both past and present.  Friends that live across country that I haven't seen in years are still a part of my life thanks to FB.  I enjoy viewing everyone's pictures and reading what's going on in their lives.  However........I also hate FB when it becomes a gossip page or when people use it to "slam" others because they do not agree with them. 

 

Now Twitter is a different story.  I have never been a fan.  How about you?  I just don't have time to sit and post what I'm doing every five minutes and no one would care anyways!  I really don't want to know that right this second you are in the bathroom because "nature" called.  And I certainly don't want to know that five minutes later you are clipping your toenails.  Seriously....these tweets I saw when I viewed Twitter.  Yep...that's not a site I'm interested in!

 

I do believe that FB could be used within my classroom as a tool for students to post questions regarding assignments that they need clarification for.  It can also be used to post pics and notes from me for the parents to see and read.  I will most definitely be setting up a FB account when I have my own classroom. 

 

I also think its important for educators to be knowledgeable about these sites because they are part of the growing technologies field.  Whether I like them or not, the likelihood of them being a part of my classroom is extremely great.  So......this "Thing" was easy!!  Let's check out # 18.....Hurry!!!!!  We are almost finished!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Thing # 17

Ok...Ok...I KNOW the Delicious website has NOTHING to do with food.....but....I just couldn't resist.  :)  You gotta admit...looks pretty good, huh?

Well.....to get to the actual "Thing" I am supposed to be blogging about........

 

I had never heard of the Delicious website.  Had you?  But this is a tool that I want to stay on my toolbar for future use.  It makes social bookmarking so easy and it's very simple to use!

I will admit to sitting and hearing Dr. Wall talk about social bookmarking sites, but never really thought it would be anything that would benefit me in my classroom.  But, after watching the tutorial, I realize the reason I thought that was because I truly didn't understand what the social bookmarking jargon meant!  But....now I do! 

I looked at my "bookmark" list on my personal computer and realized I had done exactly what they discussed in the tutorial.  I had lists and lists of sites that needed to be classified under one tag for easier use!  So...I have every intention of organizing them onto the Delicious account I created.  When I graduate and have a class of my own, this will be a fabulous tool.  Teachers supplement their curriculum by items found online.  It can be so frustrating to organize hundreds of bookmarks.  But since learning about Delicious.com, it will be painless!!!

Anybody hungry?????? LOL   Chocolate cake sounds really good right now! :P

Thing #16

Love it! Love it! LOVE IT!!! Can ya tell I like this "Thing" ?   LOL I had lots of fun sitting here experimenting with all the links and gadgets. I actually spent much more time than I had planned on! I kept asking my husband, "Did you know you can do this?" "Did you already know how to do that?" LOL He finally told me he'd be glad when this semester was over so I would stop asking him so many questions. So, I'll bug YOU!

Did you know how to fix your own home page with all the neat things you like? I didn't....but I sure went to town on it when I realized how wonderful it would be to be able to access all my main websites from my log in page! Now the things I check daily are all on my home page! LOVE IT!!! I chose IGoogle because their background themes are very pretty and cover a range of different things. After taking all that time to add the gadgets I like, of course I made it my homepage

Like I have told you before...if you've been reading my blogs...that online calendars are something I use quite frequently.  My husband pastors a church (which you would also know if you've read my previous blogs) and I create a monthly calendar with all our church events.  Otherwise, I would forget...and it would not look very good for the pastor's wife to "forget" the day I'm supposed to be feeding the shut-ins! :)

 

 

The online to do lists are just too much work for me!  I'd rather jot myself a note on a piece of paper and keep it in my purse for easy access when I'm out.  But, otherwise...I'd definitely recommend using the calendars for both personal and educational use.  Such an easy way to remember important dates! 

Welp....told you this one was a long one!  Whew!  I'm ready for a break!  Check back with me later and we'll see what's in store for us with "Thing 17."  Nite ya'll....................zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

 

Thing #15

Wow!  Is it snowing outside!  Huge flakes!!!  Someone needs to tell the weatherman that it is SPRING!!!  Ok..sorry...I'm over it! :)

Now...on to Thing #15.  Wiki's!!!!  I think Wiki's are FANTABULOUS!  (That's a word my 6 year old nephew uses!)  I can think of several ways that Wiki's in my classroom will be an asset.  First of all, my students can create an online study guide for an upcoming test.  They can add the information such as vocabulary words, geographical information, etc. for all the students' to have access.  Then other students' can come in and edit this information by adding additional facts, or possible updating or correcting a fact that was entered incorrectly by a previous student.  Great tool!

Other examples would be:
 * A mock-debate in wiki form
 * Detailed and illustrated descriptions of governmental processes: how a bill becomes a law, etc.
 * An “everything I needed to know I learned in Ms.Teachername’s class” wiki where students add   their own observations of ways the class knowledge has spilled over into the “real world.”

Well....enough of this!  Let's see what Thing #16 holds.....come on!  Hurry!!!  Time is almost up! :)

Thing #14

Hi ya'll!  Been awhile since I blogged so I figured I better get busy!  The end is near!!!!  Hallalujah! :)  Anyways...let's talk about Thing #14.  Mindmaps and Flowcharts...hmmm......
To be completely honest, I didn't know much about them until this assignment.  How about you?  I've seen them used, of course, but just didn't really take the time to stop and contemplate their usefulness.

I believe I like Flowcharts much more than Mindmaps.  I experiemented with Gliffy and Mindmeister.  I found Gliffy to be very user friendly.  I could see myself using this site to create flowcharts for use within my lesson plans.  For example, my Unit Plan is written for 6th Grade / Social Studies.  It is based upon William Penn and the founding of Pennsylvania.  Using a flowchart would be a great way to show the progression of the immigrantion process from start to finish!  I also like the Venn Diagrams that are used as flowcharts.

However, I didn't like Mindmaps!  Did you find them confusing?  I do not believe they would be as effective as flowcharts.  Mindmaps just seemed to combine an awful lot of information...almost to the point of overload!  For my students, I want something simple and pleasing to the eyes. 

Well...this Thing #14 was kinda boring! LOL  Let's move on and hope the next one is better!