I'm done, and I learned some stuff!!

So after doing 23 Things (for a second time) I was surprised when not only did I finish before the deadline, but that I learned some interesting facts. I thought that when I was going to repeat the 23 things that I wouldn't learn anything, because I had already done them. Well, surprise, just like the technology of today's time, less than a year later and many of the 23 things were totally different! I can honestly say that I learned some crazy easy new organizational tools. I have also decided that when I have free time I may go through and read up on some new technology, because before I know it I will be like my grandma, have a computer and a cell phone that I don't know half of what it is capable of. It is important to keep up with technology, because there are so many advancements being made every day. I will definiely keep up more with technology, because this project has really opened me up to what I missed while I was playing Angry  Birds over the last year.

Thing #23

Now that I know about Creative Commons, I think that I will be able to legally use pictures in my Power Points and on handouts for my students. It wasn't until this class that I realized that just copying and pasting a picture from Google was illegal. But with Creative Commons I can find pictures that I can use, and know exactly what the owner of that picture wants it to be used for. I think that I can also use creative commons in my classroom because I can teach my students to use it, so that they aren't learning that copying and pasting from Google is stealing when they are in college. Creative Commons is a great idea, and I really hope it catches on.

Thing #22

When I set up my Live Binder, the three binders that I have are all about Special Education, one is a crash course in Special Education for subs, other teachers, or students, the second is types of technology that would be useful in a Special Education classroom, and the third is all about ways to teach children with different types of disabilities. I love the idea of Live Binder, because its easy to organize everything, and having easy access to it. I love binders, so having one I don't have to carry around is amazing. Makes everything so much easier.


My Live Binder

Thing #21

I love Animoto! Not enough to pay for it, but it is still a great site. It is really simple, and you can even connect it with Facebook (thats how I got the pictures of my kitten!). It is really the simplest tool I think I have used while doing my 23 Things, its simple just a few clicks and wa-la a video. The one thing that would be nice is if for free you could get a minute of video, but I'm not complaining, free is great. This is a great way to have a short clip in a slide show for class. I love Animoto.

Thing #20

I found this video on the Special Olympics. I love it! I think that Youtube is a great because it is so easy to find videos on almost any topic that you can think of. As a teacher, if you need to find a video clip from the Magic School bus, its there, a funny video clip as a reward for your students its there. Youtube is a great resource for teachers, because its free, you don't need an account and its always there!

Thing #19

I really enjoyed Teacher Pop, I thought that it was a great way to have all the teachers be able to get in touch in one place. While I do love Facebook, I think that a teachers only area is a great idea! This is a way that we teachers (and future teachers) can get together to discuss what is going on in our classrooms, and if we have a problem and need help, we know that there are other teachers out there that can help us. And unlike Facebook, there isn't as much of a chance that a parent will read us asking for help with Johnny and getting him to focus, so its a great resource to discuss with teachers.

Thing #18

I think that social networking in the schools has such a negative connotation, but I think that it can be an amazing tool. Think of the possibilities, if you add all of your student's parents to a group they can see who is in class with their child, you can post homework to the page (no more my mom didn't know). It is a great way to communicate with your parents. Another great way that social networking can be used in the classroom is to get ideas of how to decorate, make new lesson plans, or even have classroom parties. With sites like Pinterest it is now easier than ever for users to share their ideas, because all it takes is posting a picture, and the entire World Wide Web can see and learn about it. Social networking is a great thing, if used properly.