Is It the End or Only the Beginning?

The 23 Things presented many new websites and features that I was unfamiliar with.  I really enjoyed Gliffy that allows the creation of flowcharts.  Students can use this in English as they begin to map out a paper or other writing assignments.  Brainstorming is always a good first step.  Flickr is fun to navigate.  There are so many amazing photographers out there with many beautiful shots.  Pictures hold a thousand words and are great inspiration for creative writing, which is something I would like to incorporate in my classroom.  YouTube is something that I was aware of, but its use to students and teachers cannot be overlooked.  The amount of resources available on that website is phenomenal.  Students love it, and so do teachers.

The best thing that can happen for the 23 Things is an update.  Dead links are present, and the amount of new resources and tools available on the Internet continually grows.  Therefore, removing some Things and replacing them with new tools should occur.  In order for me to stay informed on the latest in technology, I will keep my ears open to those around me.  Most everyone is ahead in technology compared to me.  If I overhear new tools, I will take it upon myself to learn more about it to remain up to date.

I would like to maintain a blog and utilize the many resources available on the Internet.  Using a blog for daily writing assignments would be an excellent way to encourage practice in writing while relating it with the technology with which the students are so familiar.  In this manner, I may even learn a thing or two from my students.  Incorporating technology is becoming more essential with each passing day.  Students will learn it, which means it is the teacher's responsibility to know it as well.

Thing #23

Creative Commons

Learning 2.0 - 23 Things I found to be based and inspired by various other locations.  When I looked towards the bottom of the page, I saw the following:

It appears that these Things are loosely based on 43 and based on 23 Things from the Mesquite Independent School District.  Creative Commons is great in that it allows for the opportunity for something good to become even better, to turn an idea to profound inspiration.  Now that I am aware of Creative Commons, I will certainly look to be inspired by others' works to improve or to create anew.  Also, I will want to place my ideas in a location to allow others to better it in ways that I never considered.  A community of people seeking to attain the best through collaboration, now that is what the world needs.

Thing #22

LiveBinders

The first binder is called "English Games."  This would be accessed by the students after a lesson has been taught.  They will use their new knowledge to play the interactive games that will reinforce the lesson.  The second binder I created is named "English Lesson Ideas."  High school English teachers can access this binder for ideas and actual lesson plans that they can use in their class.  The Internet is full of amazing ideas, and teachers need the right place to look.  The final binder is called "Interactive Online English Lessons."  This binder is also for students to use where they will be led through an interactive lesson with practice on the way as they learn a new concept.  LiveBinders are very useful in organizing good resources online for teachers and students to access.

English Games

Thing #21

Animoto

This site is pretty neat.  I always thought that a lot went into those fancy slideshows you see online, but Animoto makes the process easy for anyone to use.  And the slideshows turn out great!  I like that you do not need to pay to make a 30 second show, which allows you to experiment with several templates before you finally give in and subscribe.  I will not be purchasing a subscription to the site anytime soon, but I will certainly remember it for the future!


Try our slideshow creator at Animoto.

Thing #20

YouTube

YouTube has become synonymous with watching videos online.  As "google" has become a verb for searching content online, "youtube" is a verb for looking up video clips on the Internet.  The search bar provides suggestions as you type, and once you select a video, suggestions appear along the right side of the screen of similar videos.  If one needs to find out how to complete a process, YouTube has video tutorials from changing your car's oil to finding out how to use Twitter.  This tool can be especially useful for teachers who want to spice up their lessons with a funny video or informative segments.

I chose a video called "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)" performed by the Reduced Shakespeare Company.  Though the video is almost 90 minutes, my main focus would lie on the first 22 minutes that cover an introduction and the play Romeo and Juliet.  These three men bring a new twist to the timeless classic through their humorous approach.  Students will find their version very entertaining while at the same time remaining true to the source material.  The Reduced Shakespeare Company is hilarious and should always be brought into the classroom during a unit on the English bard.

This contains only the introduction.  If you would like to see

the video in its entirety, click the link above.

Thing #19

Other Social Networks

I have joined several online communities within these 23 Things, such as Google+, Twitter, and Teacher Pop; however, prior to this, I only participated on Facebook, which has become increasingly less frequent.  I do enjoy movies quite a bit, so IMDB is certainly a website I visit often.  Classroom 2.0 looks like a good site that contains several current topics that teachers are facing.  As I progress into my career, I am certain that I will be joining education networks to learn from my fellow colleagues, and thanks to this, I will have a good start as to where to look.

Thing #18

Social Networking

One cannot listen to or watch anything without hearing about Twitter and Facebook.  Companies and programs are always asking people to check out their page and to 'follow' them.  This is the world we live in today, and this is the world in which students are growing up.  Therefore, as an aspiring educator, I must be well acquainted with these social networking sites in order to have a better understanding of the world students spend so much time within.  I already have a Facebook account, and although I practically lived on that thing six years ago, it has become only an easy way to keep track of friends, and the time I spend on it has dwindled down to a simple check maybe once a day.  Twitter I have tried to avoid since it began, so I decided to create an account and give it a look-see for the sake of this Thing.

Twitter - ebourke14

This social networking site has a lot going for it.  Twitter is simple.  You search for people or organizations you would like to follow, and with a simple click, the process is done.  Typing messages is easy, and that is the extent of what Twitter is about.  The simplicity is very attractive.  Nothing stands out as being problematic besides the limitations for the website, which I find to be a plus personally.  I may use Twitter as a means of keeping track of certain celebrities and sports, but I do not think that I will be sharing what I had for lunch with the world.  As far as using this for school, I cannot say there is a lot going for it.  I am uncertain as to the restrictions of high school teachers following their students and vice versa, but if it is not a problem, simple reminders may be useful for students to see before their next class.  But the last thing we need in schools is to encourage students to use Twitter during class time.

Facebook

Facebook is the opposite of Twitter when it comes to simplicity.  Although Facebook is not difficult to use, the amount of content available on it exceeds Twitter in leaps and bounds.  The fact that so much is present makes Facebook a tool that could never be used in schools.  Same with what I said in Twitter, I am unsure of the policy for friending students, and depending on that determines whether or not sending out mass messages to students with reminders and other content is appropriate.  Using Facebook as a type of email system is the best feature the social networking site has to offer since students are often visiting their Facebook pages outside of school.  However, considering the amount of distractions that come along with the website, its use in schools is deeply ill-advised.