Thing #6

The tool that I chose to explore was Google Calendar. I really enjoyed this tool because it's a place where individuals can customize their own calendar online. The tool provides an hourly view of the schedule of each day, and can also be broken down into a weekly and monthly view. The most interesting thing about this calendar is that one has the capability to subscribe to other people's calendars, which is great for the classroom setting. The more I explored this site, the more I fell in love with it, and the more I began to see ways I could use this tool. I never found anything that I did not like about Google Calendar. I believe that with the current shift to technology within the classroom, this tool has a tremendous value. With the capability to subscribe to other people's calendars, teachers could create a schedule for their class entirely online. All the students will have to do is subscribe to the calendar to know exactly what they are doing each specific day. The calendar is available to see at all times, so if a student was to miss a class they would still have the ability to look at the calendar and be able to complete the assignments and stay caught up in class. I can see myself using Google Calendar in my classroom one day.

Thing #5

I first read Web 2.0: A Guide for Teachers which discussed the variety of resources that are on the web for teachers to use. The resources include blogs, podcasts, Flickr, YouTube just to name a few. This site also gave the teacher an idea on how they could use each of these to help enhance the experience in the classroom.

I also read the Horizon Report 2008, and was stunned that the research that these guys did four years ago was accurate. The technologies they said were to mainstream in the next one to five years have in fact begun to mainstream into today’s education system. Grassroot videos have come in the form of YouTube, Collaboration Webs have emerged in the form of blogs, podcasts, and Skype. I used a form of each of these technologies in high school, and am continuing this trend in college.

After reading these articles I grasped a better understanding of School 2.0 and the direction it is leading our education system. To me, School 2.0 means that before long our school system is going to be entirely based on technology. I believe that hard copies of text will be done away with, replaced with online versions. Classrooms will become paperless, replaced with computers and online classes where assignments are completed and submitted through the web. As a future educator, I find this to be scary as I never enjoyed using technologies when I was in school. I still do not fully trust computers and have an old school paper and pencil mindset when it comes to school. However, the future of education seems to be heading into a technology based classroom with the classic version of education becoming a thing of the past. As a teacher, my reality will be a paperless class where computers are the paper, pencil, and textbook of my students.  

Thing #4

Commenting on blogs creates a sense of community and interaction because it creates discussion and conversation about a variety of topics. Commenting allows individuals to express their opinions about the topic the blog is about. It also allows people to be able to express their support or encourage the author of the blog. Communication is vital for community and is a key form of interaction. This is how commenting on blogs creates a sense of community and interaction. 

Two things that I found important were thanking people for commenting on your blog and drawing attention to your blog. I thought it was important to thank people for commenting on your blog to show your appreciation for not only reading your blog, but for taking the time to comment. Simply saying thank you is the least you can do to show your support. I believe that drawing attention to your blog is another important aspect of blogging. I want people to read my blog, so it is vital that I draw attention to my blog so that others will read it. I can draw attention to my blog by posting on other blogs as well referring to my blog when I comment on others blogs. These are two of the things that I found important through reading the articles.  

The seven blogs I choose to follow:

Fairview Physical Education: I choose to follow this blog because I plan to pursue a career in physical education. This blog breaks down what this teacher does for each grade level for each class period, which will help me learn how to structure and manage my class. I commented on how I was impressed by the way his class was structured and implemented curriculum and fitness tests. Here is the link to this blog: http://fairviewpe.blogspot.com/.

Talking Christian:  I choose to follow this blog because I am an active Christian and am actively pursuing a relationship with the Lord. This blog is the opinion and experiences that a person has had regarding the Lord. It provides details about her experiences and presents Bible verses that helped shape her or allowed her to learn and grow from these experiences. I commented on my opinion about one of her daily posts and supported her opinion.  Here is a link to this particular blog: http://talkingchristian.blogspot.com/.

 Jared Sexton: I decided to comment on Jared Sexton's blog throughout the course because we are both on the football team. We also play the same position and see each other on a daily basis, so it will be easy and helpful for the both of us to keep in contact with throughout the course. We have held each other accountable to the 23 Things by viewing each others blogs.



Stefanie Tate: I decided to comment on her blog throughout the course because we have had classes together in the past. I feel that her work will benefit me because her work is always top class. I commented on how we both though that viewing problems as a challenge was both the habit we thought was the easiest.

Shelby Burkhart: I decided to comment on her blog because we had the same 2100 course and did our observations at the same school. Her blog also seemed like it was in order and provided good insight. I commented on the simplicity of her name and the creating of the avatar.

Abby Smith: I decided to comment on Abby's page because she is my neighbor in class. She has already helped me a lot in class, and I feel that following her page will help me as the course continues. I commented on how we both used similar approaches with the naming and posting names we used.

Katie Robello: I decided to comment on Katie’s blog because she is also my neighbor. She also has experience with blogging, which could come in useful as time goes on. I commented on her avatar and page setup.

Thing #3

In my future classroom, there are three ways that I can see myself using a blog. The first way I will use a blog will be to reflect on my teaching experience. I will use it as a space where I can write down the memorable moments of the day, as well as reflect on students that are making an impact on my life. I will also use my blog to store lesson plans. I will post my lesson plans online so that they can be easily accessible for me, as well as available to other teachers for review and critique. This will make it easier for me to be able to keep up with my lesson plans as well as create an opportunity for improvement due to the response of others. The final way I foresee myself using a blog in the classroom is to post photos and comment on class activities. Students and parent will be able to see the various memories that are made in the classroom. In addition, it will also be a place where the homework assignments and test schedule are posted so that everyone knows what is expected of them academically for the course. These are the ways that I will consider using a blog in my future classroom.        

Thing #2

The first step in creating my blog involved creating my posting name; I decided to use my full name just because it was simple and easy. There was not really much thought put into the posting name. When I named my blog, I wanted to be original and hopefully come up with something that stood out and was catchy. After much thought, the name Carroll’s Cavern came to mind and it stuck. I was in complete terror when I was informed that we were creating a blog (saw my life flash before my eyes). However, the process was extremely easy and enjoyable due to the step by step directions and the help of my neighbor (thanks Abby). I thought that this process was going to really rattle me, but it had the opposite effect. It gave me confidence and satisfaction knowing that I was able to create and now post on my very own blog. The avatar that I put on my page reflects the uneasiness I have about this class, due to my lack of knowledge and comfort using such tools. However, I hope that I can change the facial expressions as the class continues to an avatar that looks confident instead of uneasy. I attempted to make the avatar look as close to me as I possibly could, I will let those who know me be the judge of that. I did this because I wanted this page to reflect me as much as it possibly could. This is the experience I had creating this blog and my avatar.

Thing #1

As I watched the lifelong learning habits video I was amazed at the detail that was put into these 7 ½ habits. The way these habits were put together and explained really spoke to me, challenged me, and benefitted me. The learning habit that is the hardest for me is the habit that spoke about Using Technology to My Advantage. I am not a very technological person; in fact I actually despise technology. When at all possible I avoid using any form of technology due to lack of trust and knowledge. However, I know that I must overcome this lack of trust and knowledge if I am to become a successful and effective teacher. The habit that I found to be the easiest was the habit that discussed Viewing Problems as Challenges. I have always found joy and comfort in challenging situations, and see such situations as opportunities to grow. I have grown substantially in the past simply by viewing problems as challenges. I feel I can use this habit to overcome the habit that I found to be the hardest. I believe that if I view not trusting and knowing much about technology as a challenge, I will eventually become competent with these skills, and be able to effectively use technology to my advantage. 

By working with Web 2.0 tools, I want to learn how to use the computer, and the tools that come with it to be able to effectively use them in the classroom environment. Also, by using these tools, I hope to become comfortable using computers and gain trust by simply using them. I was terrified when I discovered that we were setting up a blog (and still am), and to be honest I had a negative attitude about creating one. However, much to my surprise the experience was extremely easy and fun. I finally have a space on the www dot that is all mine (miracles happen). I just hope that the rest of the process continues to go as smoothly as this part did.