One Stop Shop for Docs (Thing 19)

Apparently Google just does it all.  Search engine, blogs, reader, docs!  The list could go on and on.  This semester is the first time I've used Google Docs before.  My first experience using Google Docs was signing up for a topic for a class assignment.  I had never used Google Docs.  The collaborative element of using Google Docs was different, but really simple!  I really like how there can be several editors and contributors for one document.

After exploring Google Docs for a little bit, I found it pretty simple to use...very similar to Microsoft Word.  There were some features that Word has that Google Docs doesn't.  I found that to be a little frustrating.  I could easily create my document in Word and then upload it to Google Docs if necessary.  Also, I noticed,  when I uploaded some documents into Google Docs, they didn't look exactly the same.

There are several ways that Google Docs could be for classroom learning and professional productivity.  The first thing that came to mind was the team newsletter.  Each week, I create a parent newsletter for the use of the entire grade level.  Sometimes, I have to send out a team e-mail asking for ideas for the newsletters or dates to include.  It would be simple to create the newsletter in GoogleDocs.  Then, invite the rest of the team to contribute to the newsletter.  It would also help with fixing simple typos and errors.

I also like the idea of using Google Docs as a "flash drive on the move."  I recently had a flash drive break that held important documents.  My flash drive still doesn't work, but luckily I had backed up some of the documents on my computer.  Google Docs is a great place to store your documents.  Not only are they easy to access from anywhere, but there is a comfort in knowing that they are in a safe place. 

The form feature of Google Docs could have a lot of great uses.  It would be a great way to survey parents.  You could easily post the link of the form on your blog or school website.  Then, parents could access the form through the link.  It would probably be an easy way to collect parent contact information during Sneak A Peak as well.  I found the form feature to be a little tricky to use, but, if I had a little more time, I think it would be very easy to use.

Google Docs can also be a great way to share resources.  Here is a simple worksheet I created to help my students practice adding and subtracting mixed numbers.  It is pretty basic, but other teachers could find it beneficial.  Other teachers can edit the problems to best meet the needs of their students.
Adding/Subtracting Mixed Numbers Worksheet

When One of Us Gets Smarter, We All Do (Thing 18)

Social networking is definitely a hot item right now.  At this point, most people have either heard about Facebook or are members of Facebook.  Social networking (specifically Facebook) is something that I've used personally for the past five years or so.  Unlike some of the other Web 2.0 tools I've used this semester, I feel like I have a lot of background knowledge in this area.  The difference between my personal use of Facebook and how I'm learning about social networking in this class is that students are involved!  I have made very strict rules for myself on Facebook.  Pictures must be appropriate.  Interaction with coworkers on Facebook remains professional.  Profile remains as private as the settings will allow.  No students and students' parents on my friend list.  I guess you could say that I've made a point to view social networking as strictly a non-school zone.  Well, that is all changing now.

While I still won't use my Facebook profile as a way to communicate with students or parents, I am learning that their are other social networking resources that can be used in the classroom.  I have never used Ning before, and I must admit that I'm disappointed that it costs money (I'm too broke to purchase subscriptions to every new tool I learn about).  Ning allows anyone to create a social networking space.  I got the opportunity to view and join a social network that was created on Ning.  It is called Classroom 2.0 and I think I'm hooked already.

Classroom 2.0 is a social network specifically for teachers who are interested in technology and using Web 2.0 tools.  I have never used social networking in a professional capacity, but I think I'm going to find it very useful.  There are several features that I like about Classroom 2.0.  There are a lot of discussion forums.  Member can post and respond to questions.  As I scrolled through the site, I found several discussions that I was interested in.  I also like the groups feature on the site.  This will help me zone and find other teachers that may have similiar interests, ideas, or needs as myself.  Really, the site is a lot like Facebook, but it focuses in on educational practices.

I like the idea that social networking does not have just for general use (like Facebook, but instead can hone in on the interests of a specific group of people.  I really liked this quote from the reading I did today for my class: "Network learning is based on the belief that when one of us gets smarter, we all do." I really think that sums up the importance of social networking.  It is a great way to learn from one another and collaborate!

The Importance of Video Sharing (Thing 17)

YouTube has opened everybody up to a whole new world.  From hilarious viral videos to learning how to do something step-by-step, YouTube has a little something for everybody.  The most frustrating thing about YouTube is that it is blocked by most school systems.  Unfortunately, there is a lot of bad that can come with the good.  I have found that using sites like Zamzar can keep this from being a huge issue.  Also, there are sites out there like TeacherTube and SchoolTube.  I feel much more comfortable using these sites with my students.  I love to encorporate music and song into my lessons. 

My students seem to really respond to that so I often go on videosharing sites to see if there is a song or rap that can be used to teach a specific concept.  Often times, those videos have been previously created by students and then posted to the videosharing site.  It is great for my students to see videos produced by other students, and to use those videos for learning.  I have found one particular video that my students love!  It is about the order of operations.  For some background information, the creator of the video/song is a middle school teacher who also sells music to teach math concepts.  The video is available on TeacherTube, but you can also view it below:

Podcasting Scares Me... (Thing 15)

Well, it did scare me until I got the opportunity to really check it out.  I read about podcasting in my class text and I was thoroughly overwhelmed!  There seemed to be a lot of steps and a lot of things mentioned that I didn't know about, but I think that was just my initial reaction.

After getting on iTunes, determined to calm my fears and get some understanding, I'm feeling a lot better.  I guess I should be a little embarrassed that I'm in graduate school getting an Instructional TECHNOLOGY degree and I have never listened to a podcast before.  I don't know why I haven't.  I use iTunes.  I always saw the section about podcasts, but I never took my own initiative to take it any further than that.  Thank goodness I was forced to check out podcasting for class, or I may have never learned about it!

First things first, there are A LOT of podcasts out there!  On a personal level, I can easily find podcasts to listen to (I'm an entertainment news junkie), but, on a professional level, I found it a little harder to find something meaningful.  Definitely not impossible, just a little more difficult.  I found the Education Podcast Network to be really helpful in finding podcasts that related specifically to my field or the subject I wanted to focus on.  You will not believe the excitement I had when I found a podcast that focuses on Teaching with SmartBoard.  I have a SmartBoard in my classroom and I am always looking for ways to extend my knowledge in that area.  You can find the podcast here: Teaching with Smartboard.  I also followed the NPR News Education Podcast.  I thought that would just be a great way to stay on top of education news in general.  Overall, finding podcasts on iTunes was really simple to do.  I'm already an iTunes user so I felt comfortable with it.  I'm looking forward to seeing my podcasts on my iPhone the next time I sync up.

Now that I've taken a little time to figure it all out, I'm not so scared.  I feel like I get it!  Podcasting is a little bit like my DVR.  It allows me to listen to what I want to, when I want to.

Delicious! (Thing 14)

Delicious is a great bookmarking tool that has been around.  It is something I always knew about, but I never took the time to actually sign up and start using it.  Well, I finally took the opportunity to get set up and I'm glad I did!  Delicious is great for a few reasons:

1) It puts all your favorite links and URLs in one safe place
2) You can access your Delicious account from any computer
3) You don't have to worry about losing your favorites if your computer crashes or is reimaged
4) It has a lot of features so you can find what other people are bookmarking for a particular topic

I didn't realize that Delicious is actually social bookmarking.  I always just thought of it as a place to store all of the links to the sites I regularly use.  It didn't occur to me how useful it could be to search what others are bookmarking.  I really like the tagging aspect of Delicious.  My lists of favorites on my Internet Explorer can be overwhelming.  Half of the links are put in folders when I started to organize, but the rest are just in a long list that has no rhyme or reason.  Tagging makes organization simple.  You can view everything you bookmarked at once or you can choose a tag and narrow things down.

From an educator's standpoint, Delicious is a great way to keep your life a little more organized.  There are so many great resources that I find online, but there is no way I could keep up with all of them on my own.  Delicious allows me to have a one-stop shop to put all the URLs I use in, and it's great for personal and professional use!'

Check out my Delicious links: http://www.delicious.com/jenaparish

Multimedia Design Project

For my Multimedia Design Project, I am focusing on a fourth grade social studies standard.  The standard focuses on the main ideas of the abolitionist and suffrage movements.  Specifically, I want the students to choose one of the following historical figures to research: Harriet Tubman, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, or Sojourner Truth.  The storyline is as follows:


"An American Hero tragedy has occurred. The National Museum of American History has been robbed!  The diaries and belongings of three key American figures have gone missing: Harriet Tubman, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Sojourner Truth.  These artifacts were very old and it isn’t believed that the diaries will be recovered.  How will the American people ever get the opportunity to truly know these significant figures from our history?"


I plan on introducing the storyline to the students through a newscast style video (as if the story was being presented on the evening news).  Ultimately, my students will complete the following task: creating a replica diary and an artifact that represents one of the historical figures to "donate" to the National Museum of American History.  Students will complete their own research using the links and information provided in the WebQuest.  For the final presentation, students will complete a museum walk through to showcase their work.


Overall, I am excited about the premise of my project.  I think my students will enjoy learning these social studies standards this way.  I chose to focus on social studies because it is generally the weakest area across all grade levels.  My biggest concerns right now are including the media in my WebQuest.  I have very basic knowledge about video editing and audio editing.  I really want my project to run smoothly as I'm hoping this is a WebQuest I can use in my classroom for years to come (as long as the information and standards are still relevant of course).


I'm sure questions and confusion will come along the way, but, right now, I feel pretty good about my pre-plan and where things are headed.