Thing #18 Social Networking

Here is my Facebook account: MK May (alias name)

I believe that social networking sites can be beneficial to educators. The main benefit is collaboration! Educators need to stay up-to-date with current ideology, technology, etc. More importantly, it is a great tool to see what teachers out of state are doing. This offers global collaboration and gets educators out old habits/routines. Not only do these sites offer collaborative features, they also offer great support lines.

Dislikes--Home page is really crowded!

Likes--You have the ability to control privacy settings and the advanced search for finding friends

I wouldn't use Facebook in the school setting because it is not advised at my school, and many social networking sites are blocked at my school. However, I do see the benefits of using social networking sites for personal use at home. I believe educators must know how to use these sites professionally or they risk being in dangerous situations. That is why I don't use these particular social networking sites as part of my classroom or school application unless it is community based?

Insight--It was interesting to see how much Facebook has changed in just a few years. I used to have a Facebook account but I deleted it because I wasted too much time on it and couldn't keep up! They have made it more user friendly and the setup was definitely easier this go around.

Thing #16 More Web 2.0 Tools

I chose iGoogle as my start page because I have a Gmail and this one just made sense. I did make it my permanent home page because it has everything that I need: e-mail, news, weather, calendar, and Google search. The online calendar is useful to me because I can set important reminders, look at my month at a glance, plan future events through my Google calendar. I also looked at BackPackit and found this site extremely user friendly because of the sidebar. Also, BackPack incorporates calenders, notes, images and files. The to-do list that I have been using is Remember the Milk and I have found it to be really useful but somewhat time consuming. All you have to do is create tasks, locations, or events and you get an instant reminder. Eventually I would like to get the app for this site and be able to use it on my phone! I think I would use this site more if I had it on my phone and did not have to log in with my computer. Another cool tool that I found handy is the Stickynotes. I'm in love with Post its so this site was instantly attractive to me. The tools that I would recommend for home:

1. iGoogle

2. Backpack

These are the sites I would recommend for school!

3. Remember the Milk

4. stickynotes

Thing #15 Wiki

How might I use a Wikki? Well, I've brainstormed numerous possibilities:

1. Literary Circles?

2. Wikis for unit plans? Maybe you have a great idea but need some materials? Other educators might be willing to share?

3. Wikis for research? Students could create a Wiki Research page instead of the standard research paper. Each group would have a specific section?

4. Book Reviews? This is like the Princeton Book Lover's Wiki

Yes, I'll admit I'm a control freak so the concept of a Wiki is alarming in some ways. However, I think they would be an awesome tool where students use technology to publish ideas, research, etc.

Click Here to see my Wiki: Sophomore Seekers

I created this Wiki for my Sophomore (English II) students. It is a work in progress....Eventually, I would love to post units, literary circles, research projects and other materials!

Thing #14 Go with the Flow

Bubbl was a great tool for me because I found it easier to use than Mindmeister. I used Bubbl to create a brief outline of one of my lesson plans. This would be great to show students as an introduction to the lesson to show them how certain skills build on one another. Also, in this particular unit plan students have to create a graphic organizer. This would be an excellent tool for them to use when designing their graphic organizers because it is very intuitive. Students can even print the organizers when they are finished! I would recommend this site to students because its free and easy to use.

I also explored Gliffy and was able to begin creating documents right away. However, the only negative thing about this site is you only get a 30-day free trial. This site is cool because it creates flowcharts, Venn diagrams, Floor plans, and other interesting diagrams. I can see why they charge you after 30 days because there is so much stuff! I think this would be a great resource for students, but there are other sites (such as Bubbl) that are free.

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!