Finally, one last thing! :]

By completing this activity of APSU 23 Things, I must say that I'm surprised how much more I learned. I never knew some of the resources that are out there just wanting to be used. Although the activity took some time to do, I feel like it really helped me become better aware and advanced with all the cool gadgets online. There is so much I could name that I enjoyed doing. I loved making the image art, the photo clip video, listening to podcasts, and gosh just about everything else! Now, for the future in my classroom where I plan to use all of the interesting tools and ideas I have came across in this activity. Really, there isn't anything out there that can't be done using a computer or the resources available. Use technology when ever you can, and however you can. Technology to some is scary at first, but I and many others have learned that there is so much out there you never knew existed. Just explore, and try new things! Technology is growing more and more everyday, so use what you can today before it changes tomorrow. <3

Thing #23

Towards the end of APSU 23 Things, credit it given to the website "43 Things." This website allows you to set and keep track of your personal goals. Also, the project is somewhat based on the article "43 Things I (or You) Might Want to do This Year." The author of the article being Stephen Abram, is also credited and named. This is a great example of using someone's idea, but still giving them the credit they deserve. During the semester we have learned more and more about Creative Commons and what it is all about. If you use something that you never created, then the credit is due and needs to be included where ever you decide to use the material. If you are ever unsure whether to cite a source or not, cite it. It is better to be safe, than sorry. Learning the details about copyright materials is a subject us as teachers need to be familiar with. Creative Commons is a great site to use when looking for material that has already been approved for the use of others, and the credit is included. This is a safe way to cover your work at all times.

Thing #22

I chose to listen to the podcast "Collaborative Teachings For Children." It was filled with different lessons and activities for future teachers to use in their classrooms. I thought that the Educational Podcast Directory was the easiest to use, mainly because it took me straight to what I was looking for. I wanted to engage in something that would be useful in my future teaching career. I believe that using podcasts when I become a teacher is a great idea. The students would love being able to record new interesting things they learned in class. Then I could publish them online, or just keep them handy to use as study guides or extra help for the students. Subscribing to a certain podcast is something I'm definitely going to look into after completing this activity. There is so much out there to learn, you just have to go find it! :]

Thing #21

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

I loved using animoto.com to create this quick, but cute, video. I added some pictures of myself, along with my family, and of course my dog Drake! This site was full of cool themes you could use and you can even add your own music to the video. This site is a fun and creative way to make videos that you can post just about anywhere!

Thing #20

It seems like you can find just about anything on YouTube. From music videos, to pranks, to even how-to videos. The site has definitely came a long way from when it first started out. I mainly use YouTube to listen to music videos in my spare time. Some of the videos even have the lyrics onscreen so you can know the words as you sing. Call me a loser if you want, but sometimes you just have to know what a song is really saying and it will drive you up the wall until you figure it out. Or at least I come across that problem a time or two. You name it, you can probably find it on YouTube. I mean the site has it all, new celebrities are being found using this site everyday. My younger sister is in love with Justin Bieber, the latest teen heartthrob. He actually was recognized by his YouTube videos by his now manager. Usher even came across his videos and now produces some of his songs. YouTube has the advantage of being able to put out certain information for you to share with others. Who knows, you might become famous one day by uploading a video. As far as using YouTube as a tool in the classroom, you can find tons of how-to lessons to show your students if they seem to be having a problem with a certain topic.

Thing #19

TeacherPop was a site I was introduced to my freshmen year at Austin Peay in my APSU 2100 class. We actually made one and used the neat features which made this activity more of a refresher. Social networks have become so popular because people love to know what other people are doing. All the time, all day and everyday. As much as we do not want to admit that to ourselves, it is true. I know for sure I'm nosey and I have to keep up with what is going on so I do not feel left out. I have had a myspace since middle school, but I hardly use it anymore. I normally stay on facebook, which seems to be where most college students interact. Overall, social networks are a good thing due to the connection one person has with so many others.

Thing #18

Social networks have taken over the Internet for sure. With all of buzz about myspace, then came facebook, and now twitter is becoming more and more popular. I would have to say my favorite of the three would have to be facebook. Myspace used to be new and exciting, but these days it seems like facebook is where everyone is interacting. I have a myspace account, but I'm hardly ever on it. My facebook page is linked at the end of this blog. Feel free to explore my page, send me a friend request, or just look at my pictures. I love getting to know people, and using a social network like facebook makes that easy and fun! Just be careful with who you trust or give certain information out to. You do not want just anyone to be your friend! :]

My Facebook Profile <3

Thing #17

I have never really been the type of person to bookmark certain sites, but by completing this activity I really understand how marking certain topics comes in very handy for the future. As an upcoming teacher, having as many resources as possible is a big must! You can never have too many ideas or comments to create a better learning environment for your students. Also, being able to bookmark sites that other teachers have marked is very neat and helpful. This allows you to see what is a good idea to try, and what is not such a good thing at all. Keeping children active and learning, everyday, is what our job as teachers to accomplish to the best of our abilities. Having tons of resources is a great start!

Thing #16

I chose to use iGoogle as my start page, basically because google.com was already my existing home page. I liked the many different themes it had to offer as well. I chose the cool night scene, because I love sitting outside with friends and just being able to gaze above at the stars. I definitely think I will be keeping this start page as my permanent home page. I try to be a very organized person, but sometimes I tend to get lazy and fall off the track, but using online calendars makes organizing so much easier. Having all my dates at one place, at one time makes my life just a little less hectic. Keeping track of due dates, exams, my work schedule, and whatever else I have planned is sometimes too much to keep up with. I'm glad I found a neat tool to put all my dates and appointments in one spot. Now, onto my favorite feature being the to-do lists. I already make to-do lists whenever I have a chance and need to joint something down so as to not forget about it entirely. Finding out that I can make to-do lists online makes this task so much cooler! I can type up all the things I need to get done, and never have a chance of throwing the list away on accident. I would have to say this tool was my favorite of the three activities. Call it nerdy, but i love making to-do lists. Even if I do not accomplish everything, at least I can say I tried or meant to get to it.

Thing #15

Before going through the different sites for this activity, the only "wiki" I was familiar with was of course Wikipedia. I never knew that schools, teachers, and students used these tools as another way of communicating their thoughts and ideas with others. Being able to edit and add a comment, or even information pertaining to the subject is a really unique feature. In my future classroom I would create a "wiki" for my all my students to get on and enjoy. I would put homework assignments, extra credits options, and even ask the students for their ideas. I could even put helpful hints or information for the students to look at before a test. Their parents could even get on and read the interaction within our classroom online. Having another way of connecting to your students and their parents is always a good thing.

Thing #14

Using flowcharts and mind maps can be fun and tricky all at the same time. For this learning exercise, I used a couple different websites to create a flowchart and a mind map. Both sites offered tons of tools to make creating this charts and maps fun, but knowing what to put where comes the tricky part. Anytime in the future that I have to create a chart or map, these sites are definitely where I will be putting my thoughts together. Even in the classroom when I become a teacher, using charts and maps to help students can and will be a very helpful thing. Helping a child become organized at an early age makes it that make easier for them to grasp and master as adults.

Thing #13

Using the Zoho Writer was very neat and interesting. Being able to create documents online is such a relief for most all who have the Internet, but do not have a program to create documents on their computer. Also, how it allows you to connect with others and receive input by just a click of a mouse is really cool. If I happen to be writing a paper and I wanted to get some one's opinion, I could just have them look at it using this tool instead of the annoying emailing back and forth. Overall, this is a cool new tool I look forward to using more often.