Thing # 23 Summarize your thoughts about this program

1. What were your favorite discoveries or exercises on this learning journey?
   I really enjoyed most discoveries and exercises. My favorites include Flickr and the Big Huge Labs sites, PhotoStory, Open Office programs, and the image generators.
   
   
   
2. How has this program assisted or affected your lifelong learning goals?
   As a digital immigrant, I feel this program challenged and stimulated me. Not only have I learned much about Web 2.0, but I've gained more confidence in using the technology accessible to me. I can't wait to share my new knowledge with my colleagues and friends.
   
   
3. Were there any take-a-ways or unexpected outcomes from this program that surprised you?
   Yes. I never thought I would have a blog. I've never made time to read blogs, much less create my own. This experience has definitely opened my eyes to the value of blogs. I've encountered some really interesting blogs. One I found the other day was NeverEndingSearch by Joyce Valenza in the School Library Journal. Her blog led me to the American Library Association and the American Association of School Librarians' Best Websites for Teaching and Learning Site.
   
   
4. What could we do differently to improve upon this program’s format or concept?
   I suggest you provide more face-to-face opportunities for new participants to work with more experienced users. I wish I could have attended such opportunities this summer, but the hours they were offered conflicted with my summer school hours.
   
   
5. If we offered another discovery program like this in the future, would you choose to participate?
   Absolutely!
   
   
6. How would you describe your learning experience in ONE WORD or in ONE SENTENCE, so we could use your words to promote 23 Things learning activities?
   This has been an incredible hyper-active learning experience!

Thing # 22 Explore Nings

Yet ANOTHER social networking site!
I joined

Ning in Education--Using Ning for Educational Social Networks' Response to Intervention Ning.

I'm going to be working as a co-teacher in a 9th grade language arts class, and I am trying to learn as much as I can about working with students with special needs. I hope this ning will provide me with many contacts in the field.

Thing # 21 Find, create, and use podcasts and videocasts

I also created this PhotoStory early on in this project. I was at a Summer U technology inservice and took advantage of the opportunity to kill 2 birds with one stone. It's pretty cheesy, since I didn't have access to my own photos and didn't have much time to locate them on Flickr.

Thing # 20 Explore YouTube And TeacherTube and how to download and embed the videos

I learned how to embed external resources, including videos, into my blogs and other web pages early on in this project without even realizing that it would be one of the 23 things I would be working with (See my previous entry "A Teacher's Inspiration"). The background information and instructions for Thing #20 on our site were very accurate in describing the steps necessary for embedding video on your blog or web page. I can see myself using this often in future projects.

I've never tried to download videos from places like YouTube, so I viewed the PowerPoint slide show that describes the process and requirements a few times to get to a point where I sort of understood what it was discussing. I did a few Google searches on the topic, and found this excellent tutorial that provides another very easy way to download videos from YouTube and other media sharing sites. The only catch is that you need RealPlayer (the free version works fine). What's more, RealPlayer allows you to easily save the videos to different formats, like iPod and even Blackberry compatible file types. Here's the tutorial, in case you are interested:

Thing # 19 Explore the Web 2.0 Awards List

What is special about the tool?
It has many applications for various needs...all in one place.

What are its useful parts, especially with regards to Libraries and school?
The Web 2.0 Awards List contains some sites which are just for fun, but also includes several which can be used (and are used) by libraries and classroom teachers. I've seen how Flickr, Del.icio.us, Rollyo, and other sites can be used in 23 Things.

How might you use this tool in your own setting?
I personally use a few such as Craigslist, Citysearch, Yahoo! Maps, Google Maps, Facebook, and Kayak. I had never seen Lulu before, and I got very excited at the endless possibilities of using them in a language arts class...until I saw how expensive each book can be. I'll keep exploring this site, though. Perhaps I can use it for my personal use to create books for my family.

Thing # 18 online productivity tools

Using Open Office is just like using the Microsoft Office programs! I can't see much difference except that Open Office lets you save everything online and share with others much more easily than the Microsoft programs do. I like that the format is pretty much the same; that makes it all the easier to use.

Thing # 17 Rollyo

What a great idea! I played around with Rollyo for a bit, and I hope I did everything right. If I did, then I created my own searchroll for RTI.

http://rollyo.com/suchoffl/rti/

Let me know what you think.

Thing # 16 Wikis and entry to Learning 2.0 Sandbox wiki

I accessed the district WIKI sandbox and made an entry about my experience with 23 Things thus far. I wanted to paste my comment here, but for some reason, it was not available for me to copy and paste.

I can see many classroom applications for wikis. In fact, this is one "thing" I think I can put to use relatively soon. I've read about how some teachers plan to use them for collaborative reading logs...sounds good to me. I can also see how they can be used for planning documents for teachers wanting to collaborate. I am very excited about the possibilities!

Thing # 15 Web 2.0, Library 2.0, and the future of libraries

Library 2.0 - To me, it means access for all users. For school libraries, I think it means evolving to meet the needs of their customers/patrons by keeping abreast of emerging technology and making it accessible to all users. I really enjoyed reading the different perspectives on Web 2.o. I especially enjoyed the article by Dr. Wendy Schultz in which she views the library as "a WiFREE space, a retreat from technohustle, with comfortable chairs, quiet, good light, coffee and single malt. " Sounds like my local Starbucks to me! I also appreciated her view of the library as a "rising ladder of value progressing from commodity to product to service to experience...[where there is a] premium on service, on tailoring information to needs, and on developing participatory relationships with customers".

A Teacher's Inspiration

This video clip reminds me why I work in education:

Thing # 14 Explore Technorati & Learn How Tags Work

Technorati looks interesting...albeit a bit overwhelming to a newbie. The one thing that caught my eye is the discover feature. All in all, it reminds me of the Speed Dial plug-in from Firefox. I am sure with time and practice I will be able to realize many more applications of Technorati.

Thing # 13 Tags and Delicious

A friend of mine introduced me to Speed Dial, an add-on available through Firefox. I use this to organize my bookmarks and favorites easily. It is pretty much a rolodex where I can locate and access my favorite websites easily.

Delicious seems to be a cumbersome way to save these same sites, but I do see how I can research new websites to explore using tags. So, it has its place for me.

Thing # 12 Creating Community Through Commenting

I've read several blogs and responded to the following:
Book Egg
23 Things I learned during the summer '09
Aspiring Librarian UHCL
It's Always Pink
In Other Words

I found this to be a challenging task, since not only am I new to blogging, but I found it difficult to find entries to which I could respond in an authentic manner...given the time constraint. I did find some, nevertheless. I also found that I enjoyed reading blogs by other people...much more so than writing my own!

Thing # 11 Library Thing

I joined the group Literatura en espanol. I am always searching for new novels to read in Spanish. I also listed several books in Spanish that I recently purchased. It will be interesting to share thoughts about these books and others with people with similar interests.

Thing # 10 Image Generators

I fooled around with several image generators. Some were interesting and cute, but I couldn't see any academic applications; so I created this image as a homage to my previous campus.

Things # 8 & #9 RSS feeds& blogs

Okay...I set up an RSS feed via CNN main news stories. I went into FireFox and downloaded an add-on that made subscribing to RSS feeds a snap. Only later did I go and re-read my assignment...not quite what I was supposed to do. So I went back to Google and set up my GoogleReader account. Then I went to a site, National Public Radio (NPR), and added an RSS feed for All Things Considered. I read the CoolCat Teacher blog and agree with the comments about bloggers being either egotists or conversationalists. I couldn't really think of a person whose blogs I wanted to receive on a regular basis until I remembered Teri Lesesne. I love her book reviews and find her sense of humor delightful. So I added her blog as well (http://professornana.livejournal.com/ in case you are interested). Finally, I subscribed to several very helpful blogs related to Library Science and Special Education, two areas of study that I'm currently exploring.


Which Search tool was the easiest for you?
Bloglines. Very well organized and simple search engine. Also loved the fact that you can subscribe to search results feeds, so you continually receive updated search results.

Which was more confusing?
Edublogs' award winners... Not really a search engine, but more like a list of good blogs. While the resources may be helpful, I would prefer an actual search engine that allows the user to search by key words or topics.

What kind of useful feeds did you find in your travels? Or what kind of unusual ones did you find?
See above comments about Library Science and Special Education. Particularly interesting was the ability to subscribe to search results. I hadn't really ever considered how cool and powerful the feature could be.

Things # 6 & 7 Cool Google Tools

I combined #6 and #7 and came up with a trading card and posted it on Google Presentation. Whew! I'm wondering if I am ever going to complete the 23 things.

Thing #6 (mashups, etc...)

What cool ideas! I can think of many classroom applications for several of these tools. In fact, today I'm covering for a geography teacher who is out today (middle school summer school), and her students are researching different physical features found in Africa. I thought it would be interesting for the students to create a tour guide badge using photos from Flickr. Unfortunately, we couldn't access Flickr, because SBISD has a new web page filter which blocks the site.

Thing #5 (Flickr)

I found the perfect photo which shows where I would like to be right now!
This actually looks like a place in which I relaxed last summer in El Salvador. I sure could stand to be there relaxing on the beach.

Thing #3 (reflections on blogging & avatars)

I've created my avatar. I wasn't quite sure if the avatar should be a realistic representation of me or reflect the image that I would like people to have of me. Whatever the case may be, I've decided upon a down-to-earth avatar. No foo-foo frilly dress for my avatar! I have to admit that I didn't spend too much time creating my avatar. I never have liked playing with dolls, real or virtual.

Thing 2 (lifelong learning)

This is my first experience with 23 Things and blogging. I've viewed the video on the 71/2 habits, and the habit I think is most challenging for me is #1---Begin with the end in mind. I find that I am not as deliberate about setting goals for myself. I have a general idea of what I want, but nothing specific. I think my goals evolve as I delve into whatever it is I do. The least challenging for me are #7 (Teach/Mentor) and #71/2 (Play). I naturally like to share what I learn with others, and I prefer to share through play or at least a playful attitude.