bp7-20100516_comments on eriks blog

I commented on Erik Holvig's Google Reader blog.

http://eholvig.blogspot.com/2010/05/bp320100508googlereader.html?showComment=1274056811805_AIe9_BGPKJcxuYYZVHMm5i_28UHgM10btY4Ga_SKvqF-INCjkorg36GwXCXFLsQS9M-_W0TEPIloprvg9SSg-yfRJ29TG425rIUtNFRqT4KUiywyZLYE-YmlLyhb3boWmjqUnY0YwDU-DXw0tbi-2o2K7rchfdnqTNPruflT_VltgSm6iyYVK795zXGvSJ97MZsVEMEANaEl-8OXZDnwzFrCziS6XgJcg32h8p5-a_TtkY5G2-mz2UY#c4184667973706883413

BP6_20100516_comment on Melinda's Blog

Here is the link to my comment on Melinda's Blog.  I commented on her Web 2.0 blog.
Melinda Kraft's Blog: BP4_2010051_DiscoveringWeb2.0Tools#comment-form

BP5-20100516_web2.0tools

This web 2.0 tool is really great and will work well especially for the lower grades. This tool is http://www.tizmos.com/.  This site is alot like igoogle. It allows you to put links to other sites on one page.  You can gather a list of sites you want your students to be able to explore without them getting distracted on the internet.  If you had a research project and wanted to limit their sources or makes sure they were getting all reliable sources then you can compile them here on this site.

This site is free to use.  It is very easy to use as well.  Simply create on new accout enter your username, password, and name and you are ready to add sites.  To add a site to your page you simply click on the add site link.  Then you enter the website url, add a tag, adn then your done.  Repeat until you have all of the sites you want. You can use this site at home for your own kids giving them access to only the sites you want them to have access to.  It can be used for projects you are working on.  You can put all of the links that pertain to one project on this site giving you one shop access to what you need.  This site is useful and easy to use.  There are so many uses for this site.  Check out my page by clicking on the link below.

http://www.tizmos.com/mboakye

Bp4_2010059_web2.0tools

I found some really great web 2.0 tools.  The one I found that I feel I can use in my current environment is Headmagnet.  This tool can be found at http://www.headmagnet/ .com.  This web 2.0 tool Is an online flashcard system designed to help you remember.  As an operations manager I have so many daily, weekly, and monthly tasks to complete for several other managers, offices, and regions.  It is also teacher job fair season so I go out every weekend to a different job fair and need to remember those who I have spoken to.  This software can help you to remember names , faces, and dates. 

You can create your own lists of things to remember.   You can use it to learn nd remember new vocabulary words, birthdays and other important dates, people, and favorite quotes.

I used the basic profile which gave me a list of 5 vocabulary words to learn.  It gives me the word, the definition, and a hint.  The hint uses many different types of memory tools like using the word in a sentence or word association.  After you study you can save what you have learned to your “head”.  “The your "Head" page is a set of study lists that you want to learn and remember long term.
The Head page allows you to see what your current level of strength is for each study list.”  You can share lists with your friends or students with their peers.  You can decide how the material is presented.  This site is perfect for differentiating instruction.

In my work our reps have a lot of things they need to remember.  We use traditional flash cards, but I think this site is much more beneficial.  I believe students will love to use this tool as It is completely customizable and can be private or public.  I have already started using my head magnet page and can’t wait to start remembering. 

Bp3_2010059_google reader

Check out my list of feeds I chose for my google reader.

NYT Education News

This one is education news from the New York Times.  I chose this because it gives me news stories from around the country about education.  It features stories about what schools, teachers, and students are doing throughout the country.  This will help to give me ideas in my classroom  and in my teaching. 

Corporate Training Metrics

This site has articles about corporate training as well as tips for corporate trainers.  I chose this in case I become a corporate trainer.  Right now I am an operations manager, but my boss is well aware of my desire to teach and train. 

Education Change.org

This site has many articles about controversial subjects in education.  I chose this site because it is very informative in a non-sugar coated way.  I am a Yankee so I like straight shooters and this site gives me that.  This site will help me to stay on top of current events in education.  This feed will help me by  keeping me informed about rulings in other school districts about happenings in education.

Top Trends in elearning

This site has stories about corporate training trends.  I currently work as an operations manager in a call center.  I am always making my way into the training room to train the reps on different software.  I chose this site because that is where I currently am professionally.  I want to stay informed in the field just in case I remain in the corporate environment longer than I want to.

Elementary Education

I chose to subscribe to this feed because elementary education is my primary focus.  My degree is in elementary education and is where I would like to be teaching.  This feed has so much information such as news stories, classroom tips from other teachers, and so much more.  

Bp2_2010058_Educational uses for blogs

When I was in school I loved to write, but writing assignments always discouraged me.  I could never find a good intro to get started and had even more tying it all together for the conclusion.  My eleven year old has the same problem.  She will spend hours on the weekend writing about what interests her, but give her a writing assignment and you can forget about it.  I think blogs are the perfect solution to this type of student.  There are many educational uses for blogging.  Good blogs have a variety of posts, which makes blogging great for a classroom.

One great way to use blogs in the classroom is to allow students to create their own writings and post them in a blog.  Allow students to express themselves by giving them the choice on what to write about.  Each student is unique and his or her work will be too.  This type of blog allows students to express themselves and also allows students to comment on each other’s work.  (Crie 7) This provides a teaching opportunity to teach the students how to give and receive constructive criticism.  
Blogs provide a space where teachers and students can work to further develop writing or other skills with the advantage of an instant audience. (Crie 7) This is a critical skill students will need in the workplace.

            Teachers can also use blogs to set up an online book club where students can post entries in response to what they have read. (Dell, slide 11)  It can be used much like a reading response journal.  (Dell, Slide 17)  Blogs can be used anywhere with an internet connection  Student’s will be able to contribute both at home and at school.  In my experience when students know others will view their work they tend to go that extra mile and pay attention to detail.  I believe students would take more interest and work harder on this type of blogging knowing that their classmates will view their work. 

            There are many other benefits to using blogging in the classroom.  They are “motivating, provide opportunities for reading and writing, and provide for collaboration.”  (Cries 5)  There are many resources available to help teachers get started.  A great site that I found is www.glencoe.com/sec/teachingtoday/educationupclose.phtml/47.  This site gives a step-by-step blog start up guide.  I can’t wait to get started when I have my own classroom. 

Resources

Cries, Mollie.  October 2006.  Education Upclose:  Using blogs to integrate technology in the classroom.  Accessed on May 8, 2010, at www.glencoe.com/sec/teachingtoday/educationupclose.phtml/47.  

 

Dell, Diana.  2007.  Educational uses of blogs and tags.  Accessed on May 8, 2010 at http://www.slideshare.net/sqoolmaster/educational-uses-of-blogs-and-tags-234136.

Bp_ 2010056_igoogle screen shots

This blog is to show that I have set up my igoogle.  The pictures are posted in tab order, home, FSO, AR, and ETC.