One More Thing

Well, I did it!!!!  I completed all 23 Things!  And all BEFORE the deadline!  That almost NEVER happens! 

I must say, I’m proud of myself!  In my first blog entry, I discussed the fact that I am the driver.  That I will explore on my own, that I would go out on a limb and take a risk.  And I did!  And I learned more than I thought possible.  My husband and I were discussing the fact that I finished the class a few days early and he stated that it was because I really enjoyed what I was learning.  He was completely correct; it almost didn’t feel like learning at all!

I plan on keeping up with my blog and giving the address to parents, students, and colleagues when the new school year starts.  Giving the information out will ensure that I keep up with it because people will (hopefully) be reading it on a regular basis.  I also am in love with my Google Reader, so that has become part of my daily routine.  I actually plan on using some of my RSS feeds to keep on top of the latest 2.0 information.  And I will continue to surround myself with teachers that are constantly updating their classroom practices based on this very information. Actually, I could go on and on and on and on about what my plans are this year for utilizing what I have learned in this class! 

For years, I have been watching and hearing about other teachers using laptops in their classroom on a constant basis, have classroom blogs, and have students complete homework online.  I am one of those teachers now thanks to 23 Things!!!  The future is so bright!

Thing #23-Ning

I found Ning to be pretty amazing, but overwhelming at first.  There is a lot going on there, for sure!  But, after a few minutes exploring, I found it to be very useful.  I especially like the fact that there are many discussion forums for me to turn to to help me get started using some of these new concepts with my students.  Let’s be honest, I have learned more in the past month during this online class, than I can remember learning in a long time.  And all of that information is piled up and waiting to be used with students!  I read a thread about how to begin using Voice Thread with students.  I found this very useful.  I almost feel like I can turn to Ning for help when I get stuck, because it is full of people that have been where I’ve been.  They are sharing information and ideas and I can’t wait to utilize them!!!!

Thing #22-Facebook

I have been on Facebook for a few years now, so I am pretty familiar with its ins and outs.  I have learned the hard way that it’s important to keep your profile COMPLETELY private except to friends, and that not everything on FB is meant for kids.  I have thoroughly enjoyed getting in touch with old friends from high school and college and it has helped me remain close with friends and family that live out-of-state.  I LOVE posting pictures of my son and family and tagging photos that have friends and family in them is super fun as well!     I enjoy making my page my own and “liking” or becoming a fan of my favorite shows, books, movies, etc.  Most importantly, I have been able to help friends via Facebook inbox messages with fertility issues (which I have been through).

I think that being familiar with these social sites is important because my students are on Facebook and talk about it often.  I think it’s important to be “in touch” with kids so they trust you and will ultimately work harder for you in class.  Being friends with current students is a sticky issue, and I have made it a rule to not “friend” anyone that is currently in my class.  I am, however, friends with many former students and it’s always fun to keep in touch that way.

Thing #21-Google Tools

I created an album in Picasa and I now see the many, many places to upload and share photos.  There are so many and now I have several albums uploaded in several places!  This is beneficial because I can have certain sites where I share pictures with my students and other places where I share personal photos with family and friends.  This will help me keep track of everything.  I have also become more comfortable with making my pictures public.  In the beginning of this course, I was very apprehensive about strangers seeing my pictures.  Now I realize that it’s part of the fun!  I certainly can’t view and enjoy other people’s pictures without sharing mine as well. 

I also explored Google Earth.  I think this could be very beneficial for students to use during science instruction.  It shows earthquakes, volcanoes, and other changes to the earth’s surface.  This will be a wonderful tool to use during our Earth Science unit next year.  And since I will have a Promethean board permanently in my room (yahoooo!), I can access the information easily.

Thing #20-Google Docs

I have never used Google Docs until today and I think it’s going to take some getting used to.  I really liked working with a wiki, and I feel that this is just another way to do the same thing.  But, I also feel that with more experience, I will learn to enjoy it and be able to visualize more ways to use it in the classroom.

First, I developed a slide show titled “All About Mrs. Rinestine.”  This is just the first few slides in a presentation that I plan on sharing with students once school starts.  Next, I started a to do list that I can share with my friend and colleague, Mrs. Massey.  She and I team teach together and have been friends for 25 years.  I think we will each add new things to the list as the start of school nears.  We can hold each other accountable and collaboration is always a good thing! 

I think that I can use Google Docs in my classroom in many ways.  I can use it to show students information in a different way.  I also can assign them to collaborate with me on certain items.  This will help them practice using Google Docs as well as practice working with others.

Thing #19-VoiceThread

I am in the beginning stages of exploring VoiceThread and I can already see a lot of ways to use this in my classroom.  As a science teacher, I can use this resource as a way to assess student’s learning.  Many things we explore and learn in science are hands-on and visual lessons.  I can take a picture of something we’ve learned and then post it.  Students will be required to post a comment on the VoiceThread for a grade.  It will also be fun for students to take the pictures and set up the thread.

I set up a VoiceThread of my own using a picture of my son.  I have already sent invites to family so they can comment and see it as well!

Thing #18-YouTube and TeacherTube

After completing the tasks in this Thing, one thing is VERY evident to me:  I will be checking out the laptop carts on a regular basis beginning the first week of school.  In the past, I seldom checked them out because I didn’t know where to start, how to protect my students from inappropriate content, or what lessons to teach.  Now I know that I can set up a Delicious account with the links I want them to access in class.  Or I can simply put the link in a blog post and have them click on it and view it from there.  Either way, we will be using YouTube and TeacherTube on a more regular basis.  There are a lot of videos to see out there and lots of learning to do!

Because I teach science, I automatically searched “science projects” in YouTube.  Many, many results appeared; and while all of them were not worth watching, many of them were.  It is always challenging to help 50 fifth graders come up with project ideas each year.  It is a requirement for each student to complete and enter their project into our annual Science Fair.  I can use YouTube as a resource for ideas.  I also searched “how to stake a tree” because we need to stake a few in our backyard.  I’ve already emailed my husband the links so he can check them out before this weekend.    I really appreciate the fact that TeacherTube has more appropriate content for students to use.  This makes me feel better about allowing them to do their own searches in class.

Basically, there are endless possibilities while using YouTube and TeacherTube in the classroom.  Now, I’m wondering if my school librarian has the wiki up for checking out the laptop carts the first week of school yet. 

Thing #17-Podcasts

The first thing I thought when I listened to the Jamestown Elementary Podcast Project is how we should be doing this at my school!  It would be an incredible thing for different grade levels, teachers, and students to contribute to a podcast to post on our school website!  Parents and other members of our community would be able to listen and know what is going on at Thompson Elementary.  This, of course, would initially take a lot of work and effort, but once teachers were trained on how to do it, it would be pretty easy.  In fact, I’ll bet some of my fifth graders would be capable of helping younger kids record podcasts each week.

Next, I began listening to podcasts that I can use in the classroom.  I soon realized that I will probably be unable to allow kids to just “jump right in” and explore themselves.  But, I could direct them to specific sites and specific podcasts that relate to our learning.  I found Why? The Science Show for Kids Podcast to be a wonderful resource.  I immediately subscribed to it and I plan on using with my students.  I can also use 60 Second Science podcasts for my own research and information, and then share relevant podcasts with them on occasion.  I now definitely feel more comfortable using podcasts for instruction and hopefully, with a little help from my more experienced peers, I can begin guiding students into recording podcasts and sharing them with the public.

Thing #16-LibraryThing

I had never heard of LibraryThing before now, and at first I wasn’t too interested.  Let me be clear…I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to read!  I’m using the word LOVE here, people.  I thought this site was just for people that read smart, thought-provoking fiction books.  And I have a toddler running around.  My days consist of reading Goodnight, Moon by Margaret Wise Brown and the entire selection of Karen Katz books over and over and over and over again.  So…I changed my search and added these to my library.    I also added my huge stack of non-fiction parenting books.  Because this is real life, y’all!  My night stand used to have a great chick-lit book on it, like anything by Jennifer Weiner.  Now those books sit dusty on the bookshelf in the office and Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Marc Weissbluth gets used several times a week.  Usually after my little boy refuses to go to sleep and my husband asks, “What does the book say?”

But, this Thing has helped me remember how much I LOVE to read.  Just for me.  It’s a truly selfish act, reading for pure pleasure.  Not because your baby won’t take a nap or you’re about to start potty training.  Just because you can.  Just because you love the actual act of reading.  I used to consume books in just a few days.  Books by Anita Shreve and Nora Robertson.  But, right now, I am totally in love with being a mommy to this precious boy.  I love reading his favorite childrens books a hundred times a day.  There are few things better than when he runs up to me excitedly saying, “Read, Mommy, read!” I think that my love of books has somewhat rubbed off on him, that he has inherited my passion for the written word.

I know that one day I’ll have time to read for myself again.  LibraryThing will be waiting for me with my favorite authors all lined up patiently.  I will dust off one of my old faves and get lost in it.  Until then, I am in LOVE with reading One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss. 

Thing #15-Delicious

I now have a Delicious account started and I can already see the ways I can use this in my classroom.  First of all, I found MANY different sites that my students can use in the computer lab or on the computers in our classroom.  I tend to get bored with the same lessons week after week during our computer lab time.  Now, I feel I can point them to my Delicious account and have them choose from the sites I’ve listed!  What an amazing resource for my students and their parents.  Not to mention, my colleagues.  Simply sending out an email to my fellow fifth grade teachers at my school will give them the opportunity to check out the super cool stuff I’ve found out there on the internet!  Making things public has always scared me a bit, but 23 Things is helping me to understand that sharing the wonderful things I find is an amazing and useful tool for others.  This is a time-saving, collaborative task that can benefit so many!

I was also excited to find some new, fresh ideas for use in my classroom.  I even found a few printable (and FREE) resources for the first few days of school.  I have a feeling my classroom is going to look VERY different this year after taking 23 Things.