Is it the end or only the beginning?

I never thought I would see this day... the END of the 23 things. I must say, I'm proud of myself considering how much I dread the use of technology. My favorite discovery exercises were probably Animoto and the iGoogle websites that could keep you organized. I also enjoyed using YouTube but that was mainly just because there was finally something in the list of 23 things that I was familiar with and that's always exciting. =] This program has affected my teaching goals and I plan to incorporate a few of the things I have learned from here. I know the LiveBinders in particular will be beneficial especially when I find some really great ideas. 


My resolution is to create another blog when I start teaching to involve the parents of my students and share with other teachers my ideas for the classroom. 

Thing #23

The link I found is a video discussing Web 2.0 and copyleft which is basically the original owner chooses who else they will give permission to to copy their work or share the rights with other people.The play on words 'copyleft' is to catch people's attention because almost everyone knows what a copyright is. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GmyD3W3Q1Q


Creative Commons is important to be familiar with so you can be aware of the things on the internet that you can and cannot share. Before taking this class, I cannot count the number of times that I have copied and pasted images onto power points or other websites without even knowing if they were copyrighted or not. Naturally, I did not do this on purpose but this doesn't seem like a subject people know much about and as teachers, it will be important to share this information. 

Thing #22

I created three LiveBinders called Holiday Lesson Plans, Mrs. Ninness' Math Binder and Student Resources- Spelling. I can see how LiveBinders would be very beneficial in the classroom and would help teachers stay organized yet still show off their creative ideas for their classroom. LiveBinder is also a great way to keep the parents involved on what is happening in their child's class.


The LiveBinder I chose to share was the Student Resource Spelling binder. You will see inside a few educational games I picked out for students to play.


http://www.livebinders.com/play/play_or_edit?id=364423

Thing #21

My Animoto Video

I am very proud of my video; it was so simple and fun to make! I posted ten pictures to the 30 second clip. The video starts with a picture of my husband and I on our wedding day and shows a picture of him getting home safely from Afghanistan. The video also shows our son Braydon and our ultrasound picture of Baby Ninness #2 along with our families on his side and mine. I also chose to add the pictures of the things we like to do together. There is a picture of my husband and I with my brother and his fiance after we hiked to the top of Mt. Pisgah! What a hike!

Thing #20

I look up YouTube videos for EVERYTHING. Entertainment, Tutorials on how to do things, Inspirational Sermons etc. The negative side of YouTube is there are also many inappropriate things on there that need to be filtered out. There may be a filter that I don't know about, but I am careful how I type things in so I don't fall out of my chair if OTHER things pop up.

I chose to post this video of Carrie Underwood singing "How Great Thou Art" because I have heard a lot of version but never one that I love this much. This song has always had a special place in my heart and I admire how open she is about her faith. I have been to several of her concerts and she always thanks God at the very end for her blessed life and continued faithfulness. God has never failed me and I focused on this song a lot while my husband was deployed. God is always faithful.

On a funnier note, I have posted pictures before of the dogs my husband and I adopted, one of which is adopted. This video is of two boxers fighting to stay awake. It is so cute! Whether you are a dog person or not- this video will make you smile.

Thing #19

I started working on this “thing” a several hours ago but got distracted by the Tasty Kitchen site that was under the social networks we could check out to see if we liked. About an hour into it, I had printed about twenty different recipes that I plan to make in the next month. YUM! Social Networking sites tend to have a bad reputation because of the people that use it for inappropriate things but I’ve learned if you filter the right way – they are only beneficial. I have a Facebook and joined a Twitter account for this class. I do not get on Twitter as much as I get on Facebook but I think Tasty Kitchen has them both beat. I must be growing up if I am this thrilled about recipes and home ideas. My momma would be so proud. =]

The educational sites do not seem to have much of a downside. These Social Networking Sites may be the key to me staying updated with technology. APSU’s sites didn’t seem to be as easy and took longer for me to work the site. 

Thing #18

I have had a Facebook since it was "designed for college students". Now, my grandma writes on my wall about once a week which I love. It is a great networking site if you use it in the right way. I am able to keep in contact with my family and my husband's family all over the United States, my Church congregation back home and get updated weekly information from the stores and websites I "like" such as Target. I am careful who I add and delete people often if I don't like their news feeds. I have no desire to have a play by play of people's lives and what they are going to do after they go to the grocery store.

It is important for educators to know how social networking sites work to be informed on the latest technology our students may be talking about and using. It is also important because it can be beneficial depending on the sites you "like" and can be updated with new information and ideas. I do not like the timeline they have recently added or the side of the screen that you can see every move that your friends make. I feel like that is a little too personal! Regardless, Facebook is a useful networking site and can be as beneficial  as you would like it to be!

http://www.facebook.com/chelseaninness

Thing #17

By using the search bar, Delicious allows you to only search for information that either interests you or will benefit you. Delicious was very simple to use. I didn't have any problems creating a log in to join except for the obnoxious letter combinations you have to copy in order to move on to the site. It took me three different attempts to figure out the letters they chose for me, WITH the help of Anita.

Delicious is an easy way to create bookmarks that can be accessed from anywhere. I think a website like this (if not this one) does have potential in the classroom. Social Bookmarking sites can become a knowledge network for teachers to follow up with other teachers.

Thing #16

I chose to use iGoogle because I love the multipurpose use of it! I made it my permanent homepage because I get on the computer at least once a day to check school email, everything else – I mostly use my phone for. The online calendar had a similar set up to the one of my phone, I liked it but I use my phone as a reference more than the computer. I can see how the online calendar would be great in a work environment because more often than not – you are working at a computer at some point in your day. Seeing the calendar first thing in the morning would remind you of the tasks you need to get done along with planning other events in the future. As a teacher, it would be useful to share calendars with other teachers and maybe plan something for both of your classes to do together.

I loved the to-do lists. My husband gives me a hard time that I have post it notes and lists all around the house and that I might as well create a list reminding me to make another list. Regardless, I am an organized person and he would be lost with my organizational skills. =] I downloaded the sticky notes and will begin to use them shortly, I’m sure! 

Thing #15

I've always been pretty hesitant about wikis. I think it is a pretty big clue that teachers do not consider it a valuable resource anymore because the "facts" may not be so. On the other hand, I do see the beneficial parts of it and that for educational purposes, wikis would be nice if a group of students were doing a group project or something. It is an easy way to collaborate ideas with other people and learn about strategies you may not have thought of on your own but it just seems too simple. I did like that the TeacherLibrarian wiki did ask you to send a request to an email address if you wanted to add changes and the changes were an improvement; I do support that because there is still some type of control.

Thing #14

I have always found flow charts and mind maps easy to follow and just as easy to create. My specialty is certainly NOT technology but ORGANIZING is.  In fact, maybe that's the new change I need for my husband's "Honey Do" list to see some progress done on it. I looked into Gliffy (flowchart) because I am too impatient to wait for a day response in flowchart.com and Bubbl.us (mind map). Both of them felt pretty easy to use which makes me more likely to use them again. I liked how on Gliffy, you can place the shapes and connect them however you would like to so it gives you the opportunity to show off your creativity! (If you have it...)  

Things #13

As I explored ZOHO Writer, I noticed immediate similarities to Microsoft Office. I use Microsoft a lot so it was pretty easy to navigate. I didn't find anything about Zoho Writer that I couldn't live without but I did enjoy looking around the Google Doc. Out of the two programs, I preferred Google Doc more. I played around with the drawing section and I added a word box that says "If I can do it, YOU can do it" because I have difficulty with just about every piece of technology or program that isn't my phone or on my phone. I also saw a place that I could upload my own picture so.... in the link below is a picture of my four-legged family, Lexi and Bentley. 

https://docs.google.com/drawings/d/17USyOKJZn_y8yRweqgXxJZTox07HogIa5rhskPH71ZI/edit

I think students would enjoy using Google Doc. They could use it as a way to display their information through spread sheets or do a drawing to go along with their project. Art makes any project looks more pleasing to the eye!

Thing #12

I was unaware of most of these resources. I tend to stay with what I know and stick with it! I am a very organized person and have at least three calendars I work from on a weekly basis. (My personal calendar, my school calendar and a family calendar that affects everyone in my household.) This being said, I like how organized the Google calendar was. It had a place where you could share calendars as well. If you were working with a sister classroom, sharing calendars might be convenient to keep information out in the open that is relevant to both classrooms. 


I also think the Google Translate is a wonderful resource for students that have a different first language other than English. It would be a great way to make that particular student feel welcomed and embraced in a new school. 

Thing #11

I use Google for just about ... EVERYTHING. So, it wasn't much of a surprise when the Google blog search was the easiest to use! I could simply type in the material that I wanted and it was as easy as that. The easiest method to finding feeds was, once I was on the page that had the needed information... the RSS symbol was easy to find and you just needed to subscribe to it. Topix.net wasn't necessarily confusing but I didn't like that you had to sign into it. I feel like taking the time to log in isn't necessary. A useful feed I found was Teacher Tom, it provided good resources for teachers to learn from. 

Thing #10

The RSS and newsreaders are incredibly convenient because it allows me to directly receive updates about any information I desire, and I can do so at a click of a button.  This makes my work life much more convenient because it allows me to get updates from other teachers about breakthroughs they may have had, and learn about certain cases that could help me.  Personally, I could use RSS to give me information on things that could keep me motivated.  I would be able to access everything from comics, to uplifting and spiritual messages, to keep me going or make me smile one harder days.  RSS and newsreaders make it possible to bring people together from all over the world to learn from each others experiences and become better teachers.

Thing #9

ImageChef.com was my favorite to work with. It is so simple and that's exactly what I need. I love playing around with different quotes and seeing the ideas that ImageChef creates them into! The process to create this image was very basic and step by step. The first was to choose the shape that you wanted. I felt like the heart was most fitting. Then, you can choose the colors and font that you like the best. Lastly, you add in the words you want them to design. I miss being away from my family so I focused on my family in this.

This is a license plate with my last name on from my home state. There is an option on the left hand side to create your own license plate and then you can use what state you would like to have it on.

 I could use these types of images in my classroom as inspirational words for my students or to use as a segue into another lesson plan! 

Thing #8

I love this puzzle look! So neat! I have a soft spot for dogs which is why I chose this photo. My husband and I have two big dogs that were already full grown when we adopted them. Lexi and Bentley were from abusive situations and have been nothing but spoiled ever since we brought them home. 


Flickr mashups definitely brings out your creative side and the great thing is - you can insert your own photos! The creativity is done for you.. I don't see the harm in sharing photos online as long as they are photos that are appropriate and you don't mind them being all over the internet. If they are spread and you are upset about them being spread, it is your fault that you put them up to begin with. =]

Thing #7

As I explored through the Flickr photos, I searched for lilies. I have always loved lilies and I had them in my wedding bouquet along with all of my bridesmaid's bouquets as well. This picture caught my attention because this looks exactly like mine! (Except for the pollen) White wedding dress and orange pollen isn't the best combination. Flickr is a very neat website that displays a picture of anything you could possibly imagine. It is also a great website if you enjoy photography or are interested in trying out that new hobby. Photo credit belongs to tiggy winkle (Bet you won't forget that name!)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tiggywinkle/30229522/sizes/o/in/photostream/

Thing #6

I explored Skype and I love it! Skype has a couple different verisons, one of which is FREE! There is an easy download along with a sign up where you create your skype name and enter your email. After those quick steps, you can begin! Skype is a video-chatting system that works as long as you have a webcam and an internet connection. You can talk to people all around the world! Now, there really isn't an excuse not to keep in touch...  I called my mom and had her sign up as well. The same evening, I was able to see my mom and dad through skype. Technology really is an incredible thing.
Skype could be used in corporate ways to have business meetings. You are still seeing each other face to face (it would just be through a computer screen). Check it out! http://www.skype.com

Thing #5

The articles provided for the Web 2.0 were very informative. The social networking cites that have been created over the years have created a technological foundation that interests people enough to get involved. People (for the most part) have found them to be user-friendly, a way to keep and contact with friends or family that are away from the area and something new to do. Whether you are comfortable with using technology or whether you're not, we are living in a world of it. 


School 2.0  will be a place of communication and further resources between parents, students and teachers. It will create the opportunity for educators to engage their students in a meaningful way and incorporate technology that will benefit them. I am pursuing a degree for Special Education. I have seen countless ways that an Ipad can show improvements for a child with special needs and keep them involved at the same time. I have worked with several Special Education teachers that spend hours on cutting out pictured square and putting Velcro on the back so the non-verbal students can use them as a way to communicate. Now, there is an app for that. There are several apps for that! Incorporating more technology will be a positive change for our schools in the future! 

Thing #3

Thing #3


As I continue to explore how the blogs work, I am finding myself with endless opportunities that can be utilized while blogging. If I used this blog to better my knowledge as an educator of special needs children, I would blog about my lessons learned and the different experiences that I have throughout the day.  This would allow other teachers in my field to get an understanding what methods I have used with different disabilities. It would also allow me to pose questions to other teachers, so it could be used as a learning experience. Many teachers or even parents quickly realize that what does work with one child may not work with the other. In my field of teaching there are so many different types of disabilities that we work with on a daily basis. That being said, it would be nice to have a method of communication that would allow teachers across my township/state to work together to help our students to succeed and reach their individual goals. Also, blogging would create a way to communicate things that are not working.  This would then allow the next teacher to either improve upon my ideas or to put it to the wayside because it did not have the desired affect. Like I said, each child will progress at different levels but this blog is not only a way to stay organized but a way to continue to help our students succeed and be the best at what they can be!  

Thing #2

Thing #2


I thought I would use an extreme level of creativity by naming my blog my actual name. Clever, I know..  The avatar does reflect my personality in that I do try to put on a smile whether I'm uncomfortable or having a rough day. I think having a positive outlook brings out the best in others as well. My avatar does not really look like me unless I've had too much caffeine and then my eyes may very well look like that. My hair is usually long so that part did work out well and more often than not, I am wearing jeans. 

Thing #1

Thing #1


The lifelong learning habits are, for the most part, easy to relate to. On the other hand, the listed habits also leave you with the challenge of facing the 'habit' that isn't your strong suite. The hardest habit for me would be using technology to my advantage. Technology has always overwhelmed me and if I can avoid using it, I will. I'm finding that throughout the college experience, avoiding technology is not an option! The easiest of the habits for me is accepting responsibility for my own learning. I do well in school but I work very hard to get the grades that I do. I keep my priorities in line because I value my education and the success I know it will lead me to someday. The thought of us learning to create our own blog or webpage made my heart race. But, as we took it step by step, it wasn't nearly as horrendous as I had worked it up to be, in my head. The capabilities of technology have already and will continue to show positive effects in the classroom.