Character Quiz

Characterization quiz

1.  What draws a reader into a story?

2.  The ______________is the main character of a story.

3.  The ___________ is the character or force the protagonist struggles against and must overcome. 

4.  What kind of characters add depth and complication to the plot?

5.  Static characters grow and change.  True or false?

TWM Quiz 1

Tuesdays with Morrie Quiz #1

1.  Who is MItch?

2.  Who is Morrie?

3.  What does Mitch discover late one night while channel surfing?

4.  What is Mitch's profession?

5.  What is wrong with Morrie?

Bonus:  What is a common name for Morie's illness?  

Thing #13 Zoho

This is not the first time that I have used Zoho. There are many things that I love about Zoho. For example, one of my students introduced me to this site this year before we started presentations. The day before research projects were due, many students came to me (even though we had exhaustively talked about procrastinating) saying they did not have a printer, or a jump-drive, Internet, etc. Zoho allows students to save all of their work online where they can access it right before giving their presentations. Also, this site is great for those who do not have Microsoft Word or other word processing systems. Zoho has saved me a lot of headache, and I tell my students that now they have no excuses for not turning in their work on time. So, thanks Zoho!

See above TWM Quiz 1 and Character Quiz posts!

Thing #12 Google

Google Calendar--http://www.google.com/calendar/render
I have mixed feelings about this particular feature of Google. It was frustrating at times because I had to read a lot of links to figure out how to use this thing properly. I do think that this would be a great tool to use in the classroom. You could make a class calendar where you could communicate with students and parents because you can make this open to the public. However, if I were to use Google Calendar for my own personal use I would never make my calendar open to the public. I think that would be a little creepy knowing someone could look at what I'm doing for the whole month!

Google Docs--http://docs.google.com/#all

This is great for people who might not have a jump drive when you need to save a presentation, document, etc. It's always great to have a backup plan and a safe place to store your creations. I know that students are not allowed access to their personal email accounts at school, but this would be a great way for them to keep up with their work.

Thing #11 Feeds

For me, Google Blog Search and Technorati were the easiest for finding feeds. I just went to these sites, used the indexes and this helped refined my searches. I thought the Syndic8 was much harder to search for feeds. I found some really good feeds such as The Daily Beast, Todd Finely (he is an English Professor Blogger), and more. These were my favorites. I found a highly unusual feed about Lady Gaga and the Yankees :) I mainly used the tools on the 23 things website. I did do a basic google search for top 50 interesting feeds and found some cool feeds. I was a little overwhelmed at the beginning of this Thing. However, the more tools I researched I was able to find feeds that interested me.

Thing #10 RSS

There are a few things that I like about RSS. 1. I like that everything can be syndicated to one place. Can you imagine subscribing to each of your favorite websites, feeds,etc just so you can keep up? That would be exhausting and annoying. 2. I like how it keeps me organized. With out the user interface I would not be able to keep up with what I've read. 3. I like that I can access this information on my phone.
I would be able to use this in my personal life and in the classroom. I try to stress the importance of keeping up with current events in the classroom. Teachers could use RSS to create unit lesson plans that have "cross curriculum" ideas in mind. Maybe this can be a new way for finding up-to-date research!

Thing #9 Image Generator

ImageChef.com Poetry Blender


I had a hard time uploading these images to my blog!!! I really liked the ImageChef Poetry Blender. This would be an awesome way to present a poem in class! Poetry Blender was really easy to use and I had my creation in about 30 seconds. You can add text and images to the poetry blender. I also used the Happy Face Generator to create another image but had difficulty uploading the image!

Thing #8 Mashups

I explored many of the Flickr mashups and Big Huge Lab was my favorite. I see myself using Big Huge Lab for personal use and in the classroom. I have a couple of projects where students could use BHL's Map Maker, Magazine Maker, and the Writer in group projects. For example, The Map Maker would be great when we study Homer's The Odyssey. I usually let students create a map of Odysseaus' travels, and this would be a perfect tool for this project! These tools allow students to think and write creatively. I also worked with Spell with Flickr and Splashr. I had a little trouble working with Spell with Flickr. I was unable add the image in my blog. I would love to use Big Huge Lab to create documents to send as gifts. See the puzzle above! Isn't it precious?

As previously mentioned in Thing #7, I don't like posting or sharing photos online. I think the main reason I feel this way is because I am a private person and I don't like the idea that I am leaving a digital footprint behind that I might not can get back?

Thing #7 Flickr

In a way I was dreading this particular post because I have never used a photo hosting service before. I am really cautious when it comes to uploading pictures on the web because of safety, privacy, and professional reasons. Even with the privacy settings I still feel a certain vulnerability. However, once I set up my Flickr account I felt more at ease Everything was right in front of me! believe I will continue using Flickr for personal use and hopefully incorporate Flickr into the classroom setting.It would be neat to create a group for each class. This photo above is a picture of a bulletin board in my classroom. I keep this board filled with school-related activities such as athletic events, club scheduling, newsletters, etc.This is just a way to show students you involved and express interest in their school careers and other school-related functions.

Thing #6 Discovering Web 2.0

As I scanned over the Web 2.0 award winning nominees there was one website that caught my eye immediately. Remember the Milk is unique because it's portable, easy to use, and most importantly free! Whether you are extremely forgetful like me or like organization in your life, RTM is for you. RTM is great for creating to-do-list, setting goals, setting reminders for important dates, or just setting friendly reminders to not forget the milk before you leave the grocery store :)

Users can even access accounts in Gmail, mobile hedsets, Skype, etc. I might download the app so I don't have to return to the web site every time I want access. As previously stated, this is a free service. However, there is a Pro that cost around $25 a year that allows users extra support, access to new features, and access to the service on mobile devices.

I really like the blog feature because people are always sharing new ideas for using RTM. There was a guy who used RTM to organize his bills. Also, there is a "Location" service that allows users to look at Google Map and find those directions. I am horrible with directions so this is a great way for me to look them up and save them under a new task. Lastly, you can share, send, and publish task with friends around the world. There really isn't anything that I dislike about this site except for the $25 Pro fee. I would highly recommend this site! Below is the hyperlink to the home page. Try it out.

http://www.rememberthemilk.com/

Thing #5 School 2.0

When I think about School 2.0 many things come to mind. Really, I started thinking about all of the excuses that I could come up with so I could just forget about using School 2.0 in my classroom. Why? Mainly because I have had bad experiences and frustrations while using technology in the classroom. However, the more I researched School 2.0 I began to see how closed minded I was being. School 2.0 allows us to open windows of opportunity such as collaboration, professional development, effective communication, visual stimulation, and student enrichment to name a few. I thought I was doing my job by incorporating my power points, e-mails, videos, etc. School 2.0 has so much more to offer administrators, educators, parents, and students. Like Susan McClester said in her Web 2.0 article, "our generation has found Web 2.0 applications integral to daily life." This really hit home because it shows how we depend on technology to make our lives easier! So, how can we not use technology in the classroom? I agree, education must get on board.
Here are some questions that I had while researching School 2.0? How many schools within my district are using this concept to aide instruction? Why have I not heard about School 2.0 or even Web 2.0? Am I the only one that has been in the dark? Now that I know what Web 2.0 is, I have great hopes that our schools will embrace School 2.0. I believe that sometime in the near future educators with be required to use School 2.0. Just like a class set of novels, maybe one day students will have a class set of computers! Maybe that's a stretch?

Thing #4 Commenting is Important

Commenting is important in the blogging process because you want to make a small community where people share their ideas and feel like they are supported. It is important for creating connections with people that you know and don't know. This helps people make fair judgments and assessments. Also, commenting on others blogs can lead to important discoveries that you may have missed.

One important piece of information that I acquired from the literature was "Commenting Etiquette." I learned that there are rules and guidelines that one needs to follow when commenting.
Also,

APSU
Amy Eubanks--I really enjoyed reading Amy's blog because it was very professional and well written. I commented on her Animoto blog and I believe we share common interests.

Susan Estes--I commented on Susan's Social Networking blog. She helped me see the positive impacts that social networking can have in the classroom and for personal use.

Thomas Farley--Thomas had an excellent idea about incorporating Wikis into the classroom to promoter higher order thinking was great. I hope to do the same and wanted to commend him for his great idea.

Matt Schmitz--Matt had some really cool images that he created using Image Generators. I was able to share an idea with hime about the inclusion of comics in the classroom.

Annabelle Lee--Annabelle commented on my Thing #5. She made some valid points about this particular thing and I wanted to thank her for her insight.

Other
Mr. Miller's English 10 blog in Brandford, CT-- I posted a comment on his blog asking him questions about his blog and what kind of responses he has received as a result of creating this blog. I will be creating another blog for my classes at GHS and am hoping for any advice he might have to offer. I hope I get some feedback.

NTIP Beginning Teacher TDSB--First, everyone needs to checkout this site! It is a great site for beginning teachers. I wanted to share my thoughts on the importance of celebrating your success as an educator and sharing them with others.

Thing #3 Using My Blog

I had no idea how a simple tool such as "blogging" can be used in so many different ways to enhance student learning. I would love to use blogs to create literature circles where students can take advantage of discussion topics that maybe we didn't have time for in class. Also, it would be neat to see their reactions to in class activities, homework, etc. I'm sure this would be a way for students to provide honest feedback without feeling "put on the spot." Students not only would interact with their classmates, but they would be able to better explore their own unique writing styles. I believe this would provide opportunities for all learners to feel like they are in control of creating original writings. I struggled the most with covering the Media and Communication Standards mainly because of old and outdated sources/technology in the classroom. This would be an amazing tool that would provide them with a deeper understanding of appropriate communication through various mediums. It is evident that the only downside to using blogs and other technology is that it is to be expected that not every child will have access to the Internet, much less a computer that is easily accessible.

I'm hoping that I will be able to meet new people, collaborate and share teaching strategies, gain new knowledge about other technologies that can be used in the classroom, and share my thoughts and opinions!

~Kat

Thing #2 Blog and Avatar

I think creating the blog and avatar took some time but it was not extremely difficult. I decided to pick a posting name (my last name with first and middle initial) that was easy for me to remember because I am bad at memorizing passwords and usernames. Hopefully, it will be easy for other people to recognize my blogs too. I did encounter some problems trying to save my Avatar to my blog. I took some time and I'm still not sure if I did it right :) I wanted to create an Avatar that resembled my looks and personality. My whole life has been consumed with sports so I went with "the athlete." This was definitely a new experience. Maybe I'll find some mentors while using this blog! Especially people that are good at this stuff...

~Kat

Thing #1 Lifelong Learning

Wow! I can't believe I finally made it! Briefly, I will go ahead and admit that I have difficulty when it comes to technology. I found myself feeling very anxious while working on the setup, Learning 2.0, creating a Google account, remembering passwords, etc. I must admit that it was very straightforward and easy to navigate through the Learning 2.0, but I can't help feeling uneasy during the process. However, I know I will get better at it with practice. I've never used a blog before, and if this tells you anything, I don't even have a Myspace or Facebook account! Shocking, right? I do like the Learning 2.0 because you can work at your own pace. The Lifelong Learning and Learning tutorial was a great refresher and reminder of why I want to be a teacher and coach. Surprisingly, I don't look at it just as homework, but something that is helping me to further enhance my career. This makes it all the more rewarding. The hardest lifelong learning habit that I tend to struggle with the most would be #6 "Using technology to your advantage." I have never been the one to sit behind a computer screen for more than ten minutes a day. Most of this stems from a lack of knowledge on how to properly use technology, and my busy lifestyle. I am excited about this class because I want to use technology to enhance my instruction, engage cooperative learning among students, and create a better learning environment for my students. The easiest lifelong learning habit is #2 "Accept responsibility for your own learning." I can remember coming home from college one afternoon and complaining to my father about a horrible physics teacher I had. To make a long story short, my father told me something I really didn't want to hear at that point in time. He said,

"Kathryn, it is truly up to you to decide how much you want to learn no matter the circumstances you are faced with. You have a book, you have a teacher, and you have all the resources that you need. It's up to you to learn. So, quit making excuses and if you have done everything that you can do, you will be successful."

To this day, I have always had the initiative to take responsibility for my own learning whether I'm learning a new recipe, a foreign language, a new offense for basketball, etc. I have found this to be the easiest because this is something I do have control over in my life.