Thing #9- Online Image Generator

http://www.signgenerator.org/thumbs.htm

I thought this was a fun exercise (although I still enjoy the mashup one the most). I went to Custom Sign Generator, then went to sign generator. After looking around for a little bit I decided to go with this one. I've seen this picture in several places and have always wondered what they were thinking of. They are obviously in some kind of contemplation so I thought it'd be funny if they were thinking about being mischievous - since they're angels.

Posting images on to my blog are becoming easier after each thing and I'm glad I'm finally getting the hang of it. There's nothing better than the feeling that comes with understanding something.

I chose to do this because I am a patriot. My husband is in the Army and preparing for another deployment. As we have learned to take nothing for granted and truly enjoy every second with one another, I feel as though most of my fellow countrymen (specifically ones who do not have a loved on serving) take everything for granted. While they are enjoying their freedom and luxuries I think they forget that some people are paying the ultimate price. Not only that, but our lives are much different than theirs. My husband (like most soldiers) is gone for more than a year, home for a year, and then gone. Then some people have the audacity to not support our troops. You can oppose the war and still support our troops. I think it is vital for our nation to understand that and be extremely grateful to the men and women serving so that they don't have to.

I could use this in my classroom as a fun activity, maybe as a break from regular instruction. I think it's an easy way to be creative and express yourself.

Thing #8 -Flickr . . . Big Huge Lab

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=33436651&id=24706205#/photo.php?pid=33436593&id=24706205

When I first read this assignment I wasn't sure I was going to like it, but then I clicked on the Big Huge Lab masher and fell in love with it. As I wrote in one of my previous blogs, I absolutely love pictures and I love to make scrapbooks and collages. This masher is the greatest tool ever invented. Although I love to scrapbook and make other art work from my photos, I'm awful at it. This application allows me to mesh any photo together is several ways and then lets me share it! I'm from Jersey so being this far from home is difficult, especially when I want to share things with my family and friends. Now I can do it in a unique way!

Now I understand why we warned that it could be habit forming, I could spend days on Big Huge Lab without even noticing how much time has passed. I truly think that this website is essential for anyone who loves photos and loves to be creative with them. I only posted two mosaic, I needed to stop myself. I chose my Bella Girl (who we had to put to sleep a month ago) and my wedding. Two very important pieces of my life. I wanted to share them with everyone (especially Bella Girl).

I plan to be a high school English teacher and I could definitely incorporate this site into my lesson, especially if I am teaching a creative writing class. Big Huge Labs allows you to mesh any pictures you want from anywhere. So if we are reading the book, "To Kill a Mockingbird," I can have them to a few things:

• find pictures on the web that depict certain scenes in the book
• take their own pictures that express how they feel about the book
• combine the two ways
• creative freedom

In creative writing I can have them manipulate a photo of their choice any way they want and they write about it. It gives them freedom to make choices about the entire process, which I think is essential in any creative writing class.

I am a little weary of sharing photos online because people can manipulate them in any way they want to and that can be dangerous for the person who the photo belongs to. Which is why when I upload an album to Facebook I only allow friends to see, but I'm sure even then someone can figure out how to get to my pictures. If I were to use this application in the classroom setting I would do my best to keep the students in a safe setting, but the problem with the internet and posting things, is that it never really is 100% safe. Even if I had them upload the pictures to website I'm going to have them use (www.classpress.com it's the website I gave my presentation on. It is very similar to D2L).

Projects like this, whether for my personal use or for my class, have to be approached caustiously and responsibly. However, I do still beleive that it is a great tool to use in both settings and should be taken advantage of.

Thing #7- Flikr

This was my dog, Bella. She was a gorgeous, fun-loving Yellow Lab who my husband and I had to put down a few weeks ago (unexpectedly). Surprisingly I learned a lot from her. I think we forgot how simple things can be and we think because we are adults we know everything or have experienced enough. Here is what I learned:

1. Love your family, unconditionally.
2. Play as often as possible.
3. If you're tired sleep.
4. Welcome new friends, but be cautious of strangers
5. Be ADVENTUROUS wherever you go.
6. Be brave.
Yes, I knew most of this already, but it was reinforced. Bella was very broken (she had no hips, but still could walk, run, swim, play, climb . . . do everything), but could do anything. She never let her disability make her disabled. She was forever exploring her surroundings, knowing no limits. I always saw myself as being pretty brave or at least not scared, but Bella was not afraid of anything. She was the first to protect us (her family) before she protected herself. I had an attempted home invasion, but Bella stopped him dead in his tracks by rushing head first to where the intruder was.

This is one of my favorite pictures because it's not just about Bella, but about everything we encounter on our path. It's long, but you're always connected to someone.


I have only heard about Flikr maybe once or twice. I am more familiar with Snapfish, but after this assignment I am much more interested in Flickr because of all the fabulous pictures I have access to. My husband and I are cave fanatics so I decided to search for pictures of caves. I was expecting a few pictures and nothing special. I was beyond wrong. There were 981,216 results and the ones I did see where BEAUTIFUL. Seeing these pictures made me want to go to different countries so that I too, could enjoy the beauty of these caves.

I tried to upload a few pictures of caves, but it wouldn't let me. I could not get over how detailed and colorful they were . When ever my husband and I go to caves the actual cave part is too dark to see. Even if it wasn't, they have been nothing compared to this. I wanted to share my love for caves and this picture with everyone to enjoy. (Hopefully I can upload it soon).


http://www.flickr.com/photos/manolisthr/3637064374/in/photostream/

I was able to upload these pictures of lightning storms. I have always loved these types of storms and wanted to share that passion with all of you. If you look closely to the picture on top, you can actually see a person with their arms in the air embracing the storm.

I have really become a fan of Flickr because of all the amazing things that can be done on there. It is not just a place to store photos, but a place to be creative. I know you can google images, but this just seems like there are more pictures and categories to view than google.

Thing #6- Discovering Web 2.o Tools

As I have recently discovered there is a Web 2.0 tool for just about anything and everything. After looking at the Web 2.0 Awards list I decided to go with one of my favorites that I use on a regular basis. Snapfish.com.

Ever since my freshman year of college I have been obsessed with taking pictures. My problem is I never backed them up anywhere until my friend told me about this site, but as I said earlier I have never been one to jump on the train with technology so I never took her up on her suggestion. My computer as crashed several time causing me to loose several hundred pictures. Needless to say snapfish and I are best friends.

This site as several great features. You can create albums (a great way to keep your pictures organized), share your pictures with friends, order as many prints of whatever picture(s) you want. Also it is more affordable then going to say CVS and getting them developed there. It only cost 19 cents a picture and they usually run promotional deals so it's cheaper. You can also make calanders, mugs, tshirts, organizers, etc. using your photos. I made my grandparents a calender with all of my cousins. The only problem I have with this site is that you cannot copy and paste your photos to say a flashdrive. The pictures come out distorted.

I am not sure how I would use this tool in a classroom. If I was a photography teacher it would be great because they could use this site to store their pictures. They would also be able to manipulate them (turn color into black and white, border no border, and so on).

Thing #5- Web 2.0 and School 2.0

I thought this was a very intriguing topic. When Dr. Wall first mentioned Web 2.o I had no idea what she was talking about. I had to go home and Google Web 2.0. After educating myself and looking at the posts made on the discussion board, I have fell in love with it.

In just about every article I read about effective strategies for teaching the common one among them is keeping your students motivated and engaged in the topic. Since students (especially high school students) are all about the web what better what to keep them interested? The Web 2.0 tool that I am doing my presentation on is http://www.classpress.com/
because allows a teacher to create a virtual classroom for his or her students. Each student is capable of posting a blog and has creative license with it. They are able to pick colors, backgrounds, and pictures, take polls, etc. The class can also interact with one another in a safe environment and with the teacher's permission they can interact with other classrooms locally or globally. These blogs can remain in the classroom or posted on the web for everyone to see. The teacher can also post assignments and have the students hand it in on this site. These are just a few examples of why this is a good web 2.0 site. This a great tool for teachers to use in a classroom because it helps students develop better computer skills, but mainly because they are able to interact with other classes from around the world. I picked this site because it is user friendly and encompasses several applications: blogging, journals, global interaction and because the teacher monitors it it is safer than some other sites. I plan on teaching high school English and I could use this in my class when we read books or poems. Everyone can share their opinion, but everyone can also see and talk about opinions from my other classes and classes around the world. This will allow my students to have access to broader ideas and interpretations.

I think writing and interacting with people is essential is developing as a person and this is a practical and up to date way of doing it. Most students find their English class boring or irrelevant to their lives, but it is the exact opposite. It will be the class that lays down the foundation for their lives so it is vital for me to keep them engaged and this is the perfect way to do.

One of the sites I went to was Web 2.0 Is the Future of Educations-Teaching and Learning Adviser Blog. There was an article written by Scoot Meech called, "How do you respond to someone who hold you back?" Some of the things he was encountering were awful, professional sabotage of teacher using technology made by ones who were too lazy to incorporate into their teachings. After being in our technology class for a brief time, I have realized how crucial and beneficial integrating technology into a classroom is. It baffles me why teachers would protest something that obviously is in the best interest of students and learning.

The other blog was on the same site and was called Web 2.0: A Guide for Educators. I found that this site just reinforced the positive aspects of using Web 2.0 tools in your classroom. Web 2.0 encourage fundamental skills such as writing and it is user friendly wish is always a necessity when trying to learn something. Students already use these tools, such as facebook and myspace, in their daily lives so they will see first hand how important these other sites you introduce are. Relevance is always essential when presenting something to students or anyone for that matter.

School 2.0 is great. Students need to be aware that learning takes occures in various places in several forms. They should embrace these opportunities and take full advantage of them. This approach is the way to get students to be more active in their roles as learners. Technology is not something that can be ignored so rather than trying to resist it, it would be in everyone's best interest to welcome it. I believe it is better to be more educated and prepared than to get bum rushed by something. The best way to do this is to be proactive with your own learning. I do not believe School or Web 2.o is a trend that will fade it will become more of presence as time goes on. Thus, it is imperative not only for teachers to embrace its existence, but for students as well.

Thing #4 - Why Commenting is Important

Commenting on people's blogs creates a sense of community because you are interacting with one another. You are communicating your thoughts, opinions, feedback, advice and so on. Sometimes it is the most interaction people have with each other. I believe a community is a place where you feel at ease and comfortable with your neighbors. Although we are not in physical proximity we are virtual neighbors. This is a place where we can all share whatever is on our minds, whether it is seeking help, asking for other perspectives, or just looking to chat and be apart of something bigger than ourselves.

A very important point I picked from one of the blogging sights was to be kind. It is okay if you have different opinions, but there is a right way of expressing your thoughts. This person spoke of Darth Vader - the person who tries to destroy the spirits of bloggers (especially new ones). There is no reason to take out your aggression and hostility on fellow bloggers. I truly believe in expressing yourself and any opinions you may have, but you can have different opinions without being negative. Debates are a fabulous interaction that I personally thrive on and think is a great thing. Another excellent point is to make sure that your comments are heartfelt and meaningful. I only comment if I have something to really say. I don't waste my time or the bloggers time by posting meaningless words. I want to contribute to the topic is some way. For example, I was having a very difficult time with setting up my blog. Someone said they were too, that made me feel better because I knew I wasn't alone. It's always nice to know that someone is going through the same thing as I am.

I commented on akkettle and watson wisdom. I chose these two blogs to comment on because we have different takes on blogs and other technology. I think it's always important to look at other views and see how it compares to my own. Akkettle is an up-to-date on technology person where I tend to sit back and observe rather than jump in. I've never been very good at staying on top of technology. I agreed with her that high school students are all over technology. Most of them tend to have the latest trendy equipment such as iPods, iPhones or they are all over facebook, myspace, and twitter. I also briefly mentioned a paperless society that would eventually come into play.Watson wisdom said she doesn't usually comment on other people's blog, but was going to start. In this aspect, I always have something to say. It was interesting to see why someone doesn't comment verses why they do. I picked these two blogs because I felt comfortable enough to engage myself and add my opinions or comments.

Two other sites that I am interest in are wordpress.com (blogs about high school) and moviedearestblogspot.com. I have not interacted on these sites yet, but I intend to. I choose these two sites because I am going to be a high school English teacher and I think it's important for me to see what debates or problems are going. The more educated I am on topics the better I will prepared. The movie one is for my passion about movies, particularly Hilary Swank. I absolutely love movies (I have a collection of over 500 dvds) and I believe in the movies Swank does. She promotes the positive image of women and think she is a huge role model for women and teenagers.

Update: I have been posting on Sylvia's, Morgan's and Cynthia's blogs.

Thing #3 - What to Use My Blog For

I think using blogs is a great idea because it is an easy and quick way to communicate on anything you want. I was not 100% sure what was meant by your teacher education program. I did not know if it meant while I was in the MAT program or when I am a teacher. So I decided to answer both.

While in the MAT program it would be great to post my experiences, what I think about everything, what I am having problems in, a place to ask for some suggestions, and offer my tips if I found something easy. I feel like a lot of us are going through the same thing and it's great to get feedback and help.

When I become a teacher I will apply my blog in the same way. I'll ask for help or ideas if I am struggling to come up with some creative ideas of my own. I think it is great resource and outlet. In one of my previous classes my professor had us go on a teacher blog where teachers vented, offered stress tips, what to expect when you first become a teacher, and some great online websites.

In my classroom, I want to create a class blog where my students can do several things: discuss what they want to focus on, what they're enjoying or not liking, and for them to be able to talk with each other. The blog would be a casual, informal place for my students to chat about whatever they want (appropriately of course). When I was in high school no teacher ever asked "what needs more focus," "what are you enjoying or having problems with," or even gave a place to talk freely. I plan to teach high school English and believe creativity and an open forum is important for my students to get everything out of the class that they want and what I want them to get.

It would also be a great reference point. I could post websites for writing formats, authors we're reading and links to other pieces, and upcoming events (tests, projects,presentations, etc). This will also help keep parents informed and up to date with things going on in the class. I really do think blogging will be a unique and fun communicating tool.

Thing #2 - Thoughts on Blogging and the Avatar

I was not very creative with my posting name or the name of my blog. I was not sure what to name things so I kept it simple. I used my first name and the first initial of my last name - Kimberly N. For the actual blog I named it Completing 23 Things. I wanted to be straightforward with my content.

Creating my blog was difficult. I've never done it before and was getting confused right off the bat, but once I figured out what I was doing it went much smoother. It was the same experience with the avatar. I knew I had to make one, but it took me a few minutes to figure out how to work it, but once I did it was simple.

After I figured out how to create my avatar I enjoyed it. It's always fun trying to represent yourself. My avatar, for the most part, depicts me correctly. I'm a pretty happy person who is laid back and casual so my avatar is wearing a red shirt (my favorite color) and blue jeans. I love sports so my background is an arena. There are a couple of reasons I chose to represent myself accurately rather than creatively, it's a new class and I want people to know who I am and I like who I am so I am proud to depict myself accordingly.

Thing #1 - Lifelong Learning

The hardest Habits for me are 1, 4, 6, and 7.

Habit 1- begin with the end in mind - is difficult because I first have to determine a goal and make a plan to reach my goal. I want my goal to be very specific. I think having to broad of a goal leaves too much up in the air. I want to become a teacher and learn how to be a great teacher. First, I would have to figure out how to accomplish that. What defines a great teacher? Is this something I should create myself or are there already set standards? Perhaps it is a combination of what is already set and what time of teacher I want to be? In order for me to complete Habit 1 I have to write out all the the steps I need to take to become a teacher. All the correct courses, the proper amount of time for observing and student teaching, the Praxis Series and the scores I need to pass. Then I have to define or describe the characteristics of a great teacher. I want to know what I am doing and teaching. If I am teaching 2 books and a list of short poems than I want to be well versed on all of them. I want to be approachable to my students and to my colleagues. How do I do that? Is this achieved through body language, the tone of my voice, demeanour? I have decided that it is all of those things so I have to be particularly mindful of how I represent myself and my intentions. So although I have a specific goal in my the plan to get there will be a challenge and figuring out exactly what the proper steps are will also be difficult or at least overwhelming.

Habit 4- have confidence in yourself as a competent, effective learner - is extremely difficult for me because most times I feel overwhelmed by everything I have to accomplish to complete my goal. I need to successfully complete the MAT program and get my license. Most times I need to break down the tasks before I attempt to tackle them. I don't doubt that I can learn the information and effectively apply what I have learned, but all the information is hard to take in or I come across an obstacle that I find particularly difficult and am scared I won't be able to overcome. I need to keep reminding myself that I can do this.

Habit 6 - use technology to your advantage - seems simple enough, but I have never been very good at it. Just finding certain information on the Internet can be difficult. My biggest fear is that I won't understand something and then I'll be lost and fall behind.

Habit 7 - teach/mentor others - is a great thing to do, but I get very nervous. I used to tutor other students in the Academic Skills Center at my previous school and it did not work out so well. I understood the material, but I couldn't explain how to do it. On the other hand, I am good at teaching certain sports to other people. Which is one of the reasons I plan on being a coach while I am teacher.

The easiest Habits are 2, 3, 5 and 7 1/2.

Habit 2 - accept responsibility for your own learning - is especially easy for me because when I set out learn it is something I initiated. I want to do whatever it takes to master my task or skill. I want to be a teacher and learn how to be a great teacher. These are things I will actively learn and accomplish.

Habit 3- view problems as challenges - is a great habit to keep in mind and something I always try to do. Every problem or obstacle is a chance to learn. I think the best way to learn is by first hand experiences. It is an experience that will last with me the longest and most likely value more. It is easy to become frustrated, but it only takes a moment to step back from the situation and evaluate it and make a plan to attack it head on. Sometimes having to do something the hard way is the best way because you learn more.

Habit 5 - create your own learning toolbox- is a great resource to have. It is always good to know who I can go talk to if something arises, what books I can gain certain information from and for quick access having websites will be to my advantage. Having all of these tools at my finger tips will certainly help if I need to overcome a challenge.

Habit 7 1/2 - play - is by far the easiest habit for me because I think playing not only allows for brain development, but it is an essential outlet for me. I love the motto, "work hard, play hard" because it is the best way to phrase the balance that is needed in life. Everyone deserves down time, it is essential to not having an overload or breakdown. Yes, it is also very true that you can also learn while playing. When I was a child, playing was one of the biggest influences for how I live my life now: follow the rules, be ambitious, be adventurous, be determined, try your best and always have heart.

What do I want to learn by playing with Web 2.0 tools? It is very simple, I want to become more familiar with the purpose and setup. Until this class I was unaware of what Web 2.0 was so I want to become more educated on it. I also want to learn how I could use this in my future classes when I am a teacher.

I had a very difficult time setting up my blog. I am not familiar with this type of interactive setting. I have read blogs, but never participated in one. I was extremely frustrated in the beginning, but I do like writing and sharing my experiences with others so that part was enjoyable.