Thing 7 - Flickr

Flickr is a wonderful site with endless possibilities! I signed up (luckily through the new gmail option!) with the hope to incorporate it some way in my classroom this year. I can think quickly that "a picture is worth a thousand words" would be a great writing prompt for descriptive writing. Or, have the students find a picture of something that they are studying in Science and have them annotate facts. Another thought would be after reading a biography, annotate an image of this person with facts for presentation.

Thing 6 - Ning

So, I browsed Ning.com and Flat Classroom Project.com and can see that for a specific focus group this would be very beneficial. If an individual or company wants to promote self, a product, or ideas to a select group, then this forum appears to be one way to achieve this connection. I did not personally find anything of interest when I simply went to Ning.com. I did enjoy browsing Flat Classroom, because it was a seemingly active site used by highschool classes.
As I moved on and Googled, Ning and 5th grade math, I was pleasantly surprised to find an active site that provides a wide range of forum topics.
I can see that joining a topic, specific Ning would connect your with people in your same field, or that have common interests.
I have been a little gun shy about signing up because of a negative experience that I had several years ago on the Science List Serve. This is an email based forum, designed for science teachers to share and post ideas. My inbox was constantly flooded with what I considered, time wasting arguments, that I had no interest in. When I asked to be removed from the List Serve, I was verbally accosted by a pompous fellow who thought he knew more about my time management than I did! Thank goodness that technology and the internet have created new, effecient methods for browsing, linking, skimming and scanning the overwhelming amount of information and discussion out there.

Thing 5 - RSS & Google Reader

RSS is real simple syndication. It's like an "Easy Button" for connecting yourself to other blogs, websites and social networks. I have found that it is a convenient way to create links and shortcuts to blogs that are not a part of Blogger.

Google Reader is like my own personal newspaper. I pick and choose what is interesting to me. I have subscribed to several of the bloggers from our group, a cousin's blog, blogs associated with FaceBook and Twitter and Time4Kids...which I use in my classroom.

These are valuable tools to add to the technology toolbox...I know that I will use them.

Chapter 3 - High Concept, High Touch

Wow! I fell right into this chapter. It really grabbed me. Daniel Pinks diagram 3.1 makes so much sense to me. I do believe that we are in the Conceptual Age. I have 13 children, nieces and nephews that are in their late teens and 20's...they are almost all creators and empathizers...graphic designers, interior designers, psychologists, photo journalists...global travelers...few of them sitting still and settling in their "hometowns". They are searching for "meaning" in the work that they do..not necessarily "money"...
I wrote a note to these Conceptual "Kids" and inserted them a excerpt from Pinks book...many replied with positive responses. Then my 60 year old sister challenged me to read a book called "Outliers". A book about the cycles and attributes of successful people. (I haven't had time to read it, but am interested to compare this thought with "A Whole New Mind")
Our activities relating to this chapter were very revealing, in that, we had a wide variety of responses...even an old time "paper and marker" response!!!(My group!) As a teacher, I must allow students to respond and have ownership of their responses...not just cookie-cutter responses. The skills of cooperation, communication, and sharing as a group is essential in todays framework of learners... they are not us! We are content with 25 students turning in the same type of response...they on the other hand, want to express themselves in creative, unique ways.

Thing 4

Commenting on blogs and social networking sites can be very powerful or lame...really!
Pithy little words...lighthearted quips...are they really constructive? Sometimes this is fine! Deep discussions are not necessarily appropriate, length wise, in a blogging setting. Learning to write consisly and effeciently, also kindly, are a necessary tools in blogging. It is exciting to see that someone has commented on a post, especially if they like what is being expressed:)
For many, blogging gives voice to thoughts and ideas in a relatively safe environment. Students often don't want to "speak aloud" for fear of ridicule, so blogging allows them a vehicle inwhich to say what is on their minds, to express creativity, dream, vent, and emote.
I told my recently college graduated, 22 year old daughter about this project on blogging. She replied that she follows tons of friends, but had not established her own blog because she doesn't feel like she is a "good writer"...she is however, exactly what Mr. Pink in describing in his book, A Whole New Mind...a conceptual designer. Her degree is in Interior Design, yet her professors all agree that she needs to head in the Industial Conceptual Design field. I posted excerpts from the book for her on FaceBook...she posted last night that she is launching a blog:)...more to come...

Thing 3

WIDGETS...."apps" by any other name....

I use an iPod...not an iPhone...just the Pod...not even the iPad....so...I am familiar with adding this type of application to link to ~THINGS~

I like to have accessibility to photo's, video's & favorite websites, so widgets allow instant access to these apps.

When students create a blog and add widgets, this will show you "who they are" and "what they are interested" in by simply looking at their widgets.

Very insightful tool, actually!

Thing 2

So, I am reflecting on Web 2.0....

Ways that web 2.0 change my professional practice
· Must integrate MORE in all disciplines
· Be more PROACTIVE in using myself
· Be a researcher / advocate for my students

How might you be able to use these new tools to engage today's "digital learners"? To network with other educators? To communicate and collaborate with our teachers, parents, community?
o Simply be catching their attention
o Making “work” relevant…
o Engaging in student’s world…
o Networking with educators globally
o Finding ways to connect with parents

Why would I want to?
~ collaboration with community...families...students...educators
~ expand my horizons
~ becoming relevant in my world