tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59252485247714014332024-02-02T13:58:07.097-08:00If You Don't Learn You Can't TeachAdventures of 2.0 and BeyondTeacher Babshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17540594039010422657noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5925248524771401433.post-72902411630616310412009-08-03T16:41:00.000-07:002009-08-03T16:52:19.727-07:00Thing #5 Reach out and touch someoneI use Facebook to keep in touch with family and friends. My stepkids and grandkids post pictures almost daily, as do many of my cousins. I might create a Facebook account for my students, but I do not really want my students seeing my personal account. I already have a blog for assignments and updates, and use Scriblink a couple of times a week to help students with assignments. I will have to play around with Twitter to see if I think it is more useful or versatile than what I am currently doing.<br /><br />I can see that back-channeling would be much more comfortable for students that do not like to participate in classroom discussions. Most of our students are used to email and blogging and would be more likely to use one of these mediums instead of speaking out in class. Student could use this to send questions during a lesson that they might not ask out loud. <br /><br />There are so many things that can be used, it's difficult to pick the best. I will see how my students like some of these new 2.0 features this year and let everyone know how they are working.Teacher Babshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17540594039010422657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5925248524771401433.post-55653641448935849192009-07-15T12:36:00.000-07:002009-07-15T13:04:14.212-07:00Thing #3This is my first experience with Skype, but I have used OoVoo, which is basically the same thing. I talk to (and see) my grandkids at least twice a week. They sang happy birthday to me last night and I watched my granddaughter make a cupcake for me in her Easy Bake oven. She's going to bring it to me tomorrow. I also help my grandson and niece (in college) and assorted younger relatives and friends with their math homework. It's a lot faster and easier to follow with a voice and video link than IM or chatting. <br /><br />I created my Skype account. My user name is barbara.greenlee. There are several ways I can think of to use Skype in the classroom. If a teacher is out, other teachers could use Skype to teach the lesson and students wouldn't get behind. Students really like sharing a lesson with someone in another city or state, or country if you can find the right time zone. Several of my students also used OoVoo to help each other with their homework. We also had a lesson taught by a professor at A&M that I downloaded to show all the Geometry classes. With Skype and similar programs, you have access to the world's greatest minds. How powerful would it be to have people from different professions in different countries explain how they use math? Or any other subject for that matter. Or talk to an author or scientist or astronaut?Teacher Babshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17540594039010422657noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5925248524771401433.post-65757427597724600212009-07-14T13:04:00.000-07:002009-07-14T13:29:07.704-07:00Thing #1 RevisitedResearch shows that students today truly don't learn the same way as those of us over 30 (probably 25) do. The over 50's of us had a few tv shows we watched, the games we played involved dice and boards, and our fanciest toy was usually our imagination. Students are used to color and sound, constantly changing. Today's teaching needs to keep up with today's learning. I found that using the Activboard instead of my white board kept students' interest much longer. I didn't teach any new material or leave anything out - the only thing that changed was the package. If we as teachers can learn how to jazz up the package and keep students engaged, more power to us! The video was an excellent example of a new way to package whatever it is we want to teach. Many of our students spend much more time on the internet than we do, and if we can use what they are doing already to help them learn I think they will learn more, learn at a deeper level, and not complain so much while they are doing it. I can see students spending twice as long on a video as a powerpoint or poster with a much better final product. Let's show the students how to hang 10 with the Big Kahunas.<br /><br />The student in the video spent much more time and effort than they would have if asked to do a more traditional presentation. I like the idea of the teacher being the concierge - knowing where to find the best for the students and let them go from there.Teacher Babshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17540594039010422657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5925248524771401433.post-88656474977206160362009-07-13T16:33:00.000-07:002009-07-15T12:23:05.661-07:00Thing #2Tired of the same old titles and printed words? Wordle is a great alternative. I can see using this for vocabulary words - a more interesting way to give students a word list. Or let them create their own flashcards. I like the links in Wordsift, which would be great for research. I do think that ESL students would have a difficult time with both of these. I can see my PreAP/GT students getting so wrapped up in the links that they would forget what they were doing.<br /><br /><a title="Wordle: Geometry" href="http://www.wordle.net/gallery/wrdl/997071/Geometry"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ddd 1px solid; PADDING-RIGHT: 4px; BORDER-TOP: #ddd 1px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 4px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 4px; BORDER-LEFT: #ddd 1px solid; PADDING-TOP: 4px; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ddd 1px solid" alt="Wordle: Geometry" src="http://www.wordle.net/thumb/wrdl/997071/Geometry" /></a><br /><br />Voicethread would be a good tool for group presentations and for recording lessons for students that are absent or need more help at home. Students could post problems and help each other. I especially like the DVD capability. About half of my students do not have a computer at home or do not have internet access, but almost all of them have a DVD player. I can also see an application for stations, with a different lesson or activity at each station. All a teacher would need is a laptop at each station. This past year a few of the teachers at Spring Woods used Scriblink (interactive online 'whiteboard' for multiple users simultaneously) to do online, real-time tutoring in the evenings, and we also recorded lessons on the Activboard. Voicethread could be used for some of the same things.<br /><br />Animoto and Voki need to be unrestricted by the district filter! Some of my PreAP students used Animoto to do presentations this past year and seemed to enjoy it, although I think they might enjoy VoiceThread as much or more. The math teachers at Spring Woods have an assignment blog. If the district lets Voki through, I can add voice messages. I think the students and parents would get a kick out of my 'talking head'. A talking avatar would certainly be more powerful than just text. I could add it to my webpage also.<br /><br />I can see a lot of potential for Bookr, both personally and in the classroom. What a great way to review for a test or quiz! Students could use Bookr instead of posters, or a powerpoint presentation. At least once a year I have groups of students teach a lesson and I think students would get a lot more carried away with Bookr than with Powerpoint. I am going to take pictures of the grandkids when they come to visit this week and do a Bookr for their parents.<br /><br /><object width="450" height="250"><param name="movie" value="http://www.pimpampum.net/bookr/bookr_blog.swf"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><param name="FlashVars" value ="id=7804"></param><embed src="http://www.pimpampum.net/bookr/bookr_blog.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="450" height="250" FlashVars="id=7804" ></embed></object>Teacher Babshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17540594039010422657noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5925248524771401433.post-21546370706430998902009-07-13T16:02:00.000-07:002009-07-13T16:04:51.603-07:00Thing #1The video demonstrated very well the role of the teacher - modeler, facilitator, and I especially liked 'concierge'. A librarian is all these things and so much more.Teacher Babshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17540594039010422657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5925248524771401433.post-78832241668992278312008-07-31T11:00:00.000-07:002008-07-31T11:03:17.639-07:00Thing #23 - Reflections1. What were your favorite discoveries or exercises on this learning journey?<br /><br />I have quite a few favorites and discoveries for different reasons. The two that were the most fun were creating my avatar and starting a family cookbook using Lulu (#19) and starting to write a science fiction novel. The one that has been the most useful to me personally has been LibraryThing to catalog my books. The one that I think will be the most useful to me as a teacher will be my searchroll in Rollyo. I plan to add sites throughout the year and then take out the ones I don’t use that often.<br /><br />2. How has this program assisted or affected your lifelong learning goals?<br /><br />I used to teach Computer Science as well as math and for a few years I spent so much time on the computer doing things I had to do that I didn’t think of the computer in terms of relaxation and entertainment. The 23 Things has rekindled my enthusiasm for the computer again. After I assimilate all of these things, I am going to start exploring other aspects of the web. Having stepped out of my comfort zone, I don’t intend to lose what I have learned and plan to go on from here.<br /><br />3. What were any take-a-ways or unexpected outcomes from this program that surprised you?<br /><br />The biggest surprise is that I have enjoyed all these hours so much, and don’t feel that a single minute has been wasted. There are some things I will use more than others, of course, but the joy of learning something I would never have done on my own has been worth the journey. I feel that I have taken a world tour, going places I never thought to visit and meeting people that I never would have known. Anne McCafferey actually commenting on my comment was a thrill. Who knew I would be writing a cookbook AND a novel?<br /><br />4. What could we do differently to improve upon this program’s format or concept?<br /><br />I can’t think of anything that would improve the program. There were a few places that I got confused – Sandbox and Audacity – but I think I just missed something the first time around in the instructions.<br /><br />5. If we offered another discovery program in the future, would you choose to participate?<br /><br />Sign me up!<br /><br />6. How would you describe the experience in ONE WORD or ONE SENTENCE?<br /><br />Finally, a professional growth that is not only educational but enjoyable – well worth the effort!<br /><br />Comments on other Players’ blogs:<br /><br />I made lots of comments on lots of blogs. I read almost every blog. The vast majority seemed to think this experience has been totally worth it. I agree.Teacher Babshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17540594039010422657noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5925248524771401433.post-51310715822755746972008-07-31T10:31:00.000-07:002008-07-31T10:58:16.517-07:00Thing #21<p><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dytZ8OAkyTSHaXlyBh4bhV_5j_l3ZO-G3lcKPf3_OkU3S-SlNH4KvxpT6OB4R2XUorr7oqYOYJnyq4Ph-GdYg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>T</p><p>This is it!! My last thing!! Thanks, Vaughn!</p>Teacher Babshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17540594039010422657noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5925248524771401433.post-87440708711140873912008-07-16T11:20:00.000-07:002008-07-16T11:37:20.163-07:00Thing #20 If I Only Had the Nerve..I have always thought of YouTube as Facebook or MySpace on steroids. There are some useful and entertaining vids. I also found some done by nieces and nephews that I KNOW their parents don't know about. There have been some lively discussions about what I've learned in 23 Things when the family has gotten together. I can't wait to casually mention YouTube, my inlaws' lake house and tattoos the next time the family gets together. <br /><br />In Teacher Tube I found some math jingles created by a high school teacher. She had a whole DVD of these. She and her classes perform the songs. The one included here shows her wearing a 'pi hat' and costume while performing. Who knows - since I have gotten so far out of my box with the 23 things, I might even be brave enough to do this. Or at least, let the students make some videos and post them on my web page for review.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=1692049fca7e1bb5c4ac">http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=1692049fca7e1bb5c4ac</a>Teacher Babshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17540594039010422657noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5925248524771401433.post-81824662547486427802008-07-16T11:05:00.000-07:002008-07-16T11:11:06.983-07:00Thing #17 Search me!I made a searchroll in Rollyo and added a few sites I use repeatedly. I am going to have to play around with this one some more and figure out exactly how I want to use it. Her is the link (I think) to my searchroll. I have a lot of sites I need to add to this when I have some assimilation time.<br /><br /><a href="http://rollyo.com/search.html?q=Try+it+out...&sid=414241&x=13&y=11">http://rollyo.com/search.html?q=Try+it+out...&sid=414241&x=13&y=11</a>Teacher Babshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17540594039010422657noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5925248524771401433.post-28654611810919547942008-07-16T09:01:00.001-07:002008-07-16T09:03:58.821-07:00Thing #16 Wild about WikisI have used Wikipedia countless times, but never really thought about the development of a wiki. Once I finally figured out how to get into Sandbox (I'm still not sure why I had so much trouble) it was easy. <br /><br />I may use a wiki to let students suggest problems for reviews and/or tests. I am going to have to think about this for a math class.Teacher Babshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17540594039010422657noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5925248524771401433.post-73927920180691047522008-07-16T08:19:00.000-07:002008-07-16T08:33:43.181-07:00Thing #12 A Few Comments about CommentsThis one has taken me some time, but it's been worth it. I looked at Cool Cat (as a teacher, where does she find the time?) and the 10 Commandments. Cool Cat talks about using comments as a communication tool. I had never thought of it that way. Teaching good commenting is teaching effective communications. Many of our students need to learn to communicate more effectively using different mediums. Most of them can shortcut text messages, but can't write a complete sentence using proper grammar and punctuation. Another comment she made was comments being a source for renewal of purpose. Several comments I read from teachers were exactly how I feel. The summer's too short, but I can't wait for school to start to try out all the new things I have found this summer. The 10 commandments suggests using emoticons as well as using comments to actually contribute and add ideas rather just saying 'I agree'. The 10 commandments also suggests going back to look at the comments made after your comment - this could get a meaningful dialog started.<br /><br />I made a comment on Anne McCafferey's blog telling her how much I have enjoyed her novels through the years and that every year I reread every one of her books. She commented back and I was thrilled!<br /><br />I have added comments to several blogs of fellow participants. I read most of the blogs and my goal is to send everybody a comment about something.Teacher Babshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17540594039010422657noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5925248524771401433.post-31272067338308428702008-07-16T06:28:00.000-07:002008-07-16T06:35:18.313-07:00Thing #14 - Tagging more than the side of a buildingI went through blog posts, tags and the blog directory searching for School Learning Library 2.0. I don't know if I did something wrong, but they looked the same to me. I was surprised when I looked at popular searches to see what looked like Arabic script. I wonder if those sites are terrorist related?? <br /><br />As more and more information is available through the web, tagging is going to become an absolute must to use in doing research. When a search request pops up with 1 or 2 million links, it's difficult to know where to start.Teacher Babshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17540594039010422657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5925248524771401433.post-7446247090310946622008-07-15T13:00:00.000-07:002008-07-15T13:07:48.288-07:00Thing #13 TagsTags would be invaluable for research. With descriptive tags someone could save a lot of time by not going to so-so websites and find the ones best for the topic. A teacher could use tags to bookmark the best sites for students to use for a project and keep students limited to 'teacher approved' sites. Teachers and librarians could use the social tagging sites for the best tags to use for their blog, picking widely used tags instead of more obscure ones.Teacher Babshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17540594039010422657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5925248524771401433.post-45738767659801877142008-07-15T12:41:00.000-07:002008-07-15T12:51:30.540-07:00Thing #22 NingsPart of me thinks that all we need are more Myspaces and Facebooks. But I can see a use for subject dedicated Nings. I read several comments from teachers. Reading other teachers comments could save a bunch of money on therapy, knowing others are going through the same thing. I found some useful blogs by Geometry teachers I plan to use during the school year.Teacher Babshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17540594039010422657noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5925248524771401433.post-46859170170149751672008-06-24T10:58:00.001-07:002008-06-24T11:05:12.614-07:00Thing #19 I'm An Author!To get the ball rolling with the awards list I clicked on Lulu - a site that lets you create your own book for yourself or publication. I didn't get any further. About 10 years ago my parents and I did a family cookbook. My mom is the oldest of 5 girls, and my grandmother's twin sister has 4 girls. My grandmother and greataunt left a great legacy - 24 grandchildren, 57 great grandchildren, and to date 6 great-great grandchildren. We have been tossing around doing another cookbook for several years, but it was so time consuming the first time with everything involved I haven't wanted to tackle it. Now, thanks to the wonder of the web, I think I can have the cookbook redone in a couple of months, and it will look great!<br /><br />I plan to use some of the other sites for graphics for the cookbook. When it gets finished I'll let everyone know!<br /><br />PS: I also started a science fiction novel I have been wanting to write since I was 14.Teacher Babshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17540594039010422657noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5925248524771401433.post-79018584899978348582008-06-24T10:16:00.000-07:002008-06-24T10:21:33.640-07:00Thing #18 Free For AllFor many, the cost of MS Office can be prohibitive. The free programs can allow students that have access to a computer and the internet to do papers and presentations and whatever else they need to do without having to buy an expensive program. One of the disadvantages is that internet access is required, and not everyone has internet access. The greatest advantage, of course, is that anyone with internet access can be as productive as those with costly programs such as MS Office.Teacher Babshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17540594039010422657noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5925248524771401433.post-56599340453474739842008-06-24T10:13:00.000-07:002008-06-24T10:14:33.824-07:00Thing #15I titled thing #15 as thing #14.Teacher Babshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17540594039010422657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5925248524771401433.post-35834245577854892452008-06-24T10:01:00.000-07:002008-06-24T10:12:02.628-07:00Thing #14 Library 3.0 and beyondThe fact that so many teachers are participating in Library2Play indicates the growing need for a paradigm shift in the teacher mindset to meet the needs of today's students. When I was going to graduate school I thought the Eric database was so much better than my undergraduate and high school tools for research of going to the library - usually several libraries - and finding the information that I needed to do a paper or find out some tidbit of information. Now, with the world literally at your fingertips, we can accomplish so much more in a much shorter time.<br /><br />Libraries, as well as teachers, need to be aware of the changing learning styles of students and the general public. For many of us, we will always prefer to curl up with a good book for leisure reading, and may prefer to read lengthier text out of a book rather than scrolling through a computer screen. Sometimes it's hard to find just that right spot on the trifocals to read the comptuer screen. I envision a future where going to the library will be a virtual reality trip to libraries and books and exotic locations.Teacher Babshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17540594039010422657noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5925248524771401433.post-7329310370453731492008-06-09T18:21:00.000-07:002008-06-09T18:37:55.961-07:00Thing #11 Here a book, there a book, everywhere a book-bookI added my Harry Potter and Anne McCaffrey (arguably one of the premier science fiction writers ever, in my opinion)books to LibraryThing. I didn't know how many closets and cubbyholes in my house contained books. I stopped counting around 500. I have books that my mother and her sisters read when they were growing up (1930's and 1940's), a collection of old school books including some original McGuffy's Readers circa 1900, and scads of books I read to my niece and now read to my grandkids. I probably won't post in LibraryThing I learned more history from romance novels than I ever did in a classroom.<br /><br />When I was adding my books I also found out I had missed some Anne McCaffrey published in the last year or so - I definitely need to get to the library and book store more often. I am on my way to Barnes and Noble to get them as soon as I post this! <br /><br />I'm not sure how I could use this in the classroom, but I will enjoy sharing thoughts with other bibliophiles on my favorite authors. I am certified to teach math and English: most of the sites I have looked at have tickled the math side, this will nourish the creative side.Teacher Babshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17540594039010422657noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5925248524771401433.post-22665948309370919872008-06-09T17:25:00.000-07:002008-06-09T17:58:25.928-07:00Thing #10 I Spy With My Little Eye - Images<div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_5x0O93zvjANtpHETFCzk3ZP-v8z0F7Hath3tEfB1p0Q0Q2XB2ccAOXDDzBhQM7fQmPEnxyOVD7eBG3WZmgHEns8N1MZwTb2bc5p9wtlTfI4XzNft_Q6lTOAwkVM-_RIEr4MHC9L03wE/s1600-h/confucious+homework.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210047129602828530" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_5x0O93zvjANtpHETFCzk3ZP-v8z0F7Hath3tEfB1p0Q0Q2XB2ccAOXDDzBhQM7fQmPEnxyOVD7eBG3WZmgHEns8N1MZwTb2bc5p9wtlTfI4XzNft_Q6lTOAwkVM-_RIEr4MHC9L03wE/s200/confucious+homework.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg185I7Nn2w3J2nF4yg_KpxI3T1Etgipt0svJjCptsRQgqV1bJrYRMF8YIYiKxcICTMSg-7jxr2ZTE6OWtpwKjuOugzimP1hX6Mqiolfn4gp1cU6jhNOVibhb6GsBDeDTS_svImSUyQ85s/s1600-h/DUMMIES+COVER+2.png"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210042622135716450" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg185I7Nn2w3J2nF4yg_KpxI3T1Etgipt0svJjCptsRQgqV1bJrYRMF8YIYiKxcICTMSg-7jxr2ZTE6OWtpwKjuOugzimP1hX6Mqiolfn4gp1cU6jhNOVibhb6GsBDeDTS_svImSUyQ85s/s200/DUMMIES+COVER+2.png" border="0" /></a><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210048287492361826" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN7qNA_enmO1GkW_n86fQnvR0TyAC0l5Y95-pKWJwzmmnYA4n49Km_qA1sUwljslQvxTbxTq01BAG8B9B-9AJaF8M86kV09pVSJ5nXVGBlrtCWs5-xnqm1K2RfK5VU1KLyvXyfoSOvLB0/s200/clippy.gif" border="0" /><br /><div> Once again, I found that hours had passed and I had added too many websites to my favorites to include in my blog. There were websites to add countless creative customized images to websites, blogs, and emails. The 'Dummies' bookcover was one of my favorites. Creating the book covers can be found at <a href="http://dummies.book.cover.txt2pic.com/">http://dummies.book.cover.txt2pic.com/</a>. Another site I enjoy is the Confucius signs that can be found at <a href="http://buy4cheap.brinkster.net/signs/confucius/quotes.asp">http://buy4cheap.brinkster.net/signs/confucius/quotes.asp</a>. I also found a sight that uses 'Clippy', the paper clip icon used in MS Word. These websites and more can be found at <a href="http://www.imagegenerator.org/">http://www.imagegenerator.org/</a>. </div><div> </div><div>I thought of one application for students - using one of the sign or book cover generators to creatge a novel way to illustrate a rule or definition. Students could put these together in an Activboard flipchart or Powerpoint slideshow. </div><div> </div><div>Every new Thing seems to be more fun than the last!<br /></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div></div></div></div>Teacher Babshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17540594039010422657noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5925248524771401433.post-29018490510409832022008-06-08T13:49:00.000-07:002008-06-08T14:01:39.293-07:00Thing #9 Information overloadI spent several hours looking at Cool Cat Teacher blog, Google blog search, Topix, and several others listed in L2P and mentioned other places. I am defininitely going to have to spend some time deciding what is the most use to me. In Google blog search there are over 5 million blogs tagged Geometry, and in Topix over 11,000. Technorati was the most confusing for me, and Google the easiest to use, even though there is so much there. The most unusual thing I found: At one point I got sidetracked in Second Life - a virtual reality world that I found a little weird. There was an ad to 'Add your school or business' to the world in Second Life. I'm not sure that is a direction that I want to go in for my students. I can see some addictive personalities getting 'lost' in virtual reality. <br /><br />I plan to used the list of top 100 educational blogs as my starting point when I am looking for a specific topic. I need to work on my Circle of the Wise. I am glad I am doing this over the summer when I have more free time to explore and wander.Teacher Babshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17540594039010422657noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5925248524771401433.post-81876953573136306172008-06-06T16:28:00.000-07:002008-06-06T16:34:15.041-07:00Thing #7 - Google is an action verbI have created a Google calendar, added iGoogle to my favorites, and found several buildings to use from Google Earth in various geometric shapes to use for a lesson on polygons I am going Tuesday in summer school. I also found my house - decorated for Christmas - on the street view for Google maps, and saw my car in the parking lot at school. I saw the building in east Manhattan where my son is living while working as a traveling nurse at Sloan-Kettering. With the cost of flying, this may be as close as I can get to a visit this summer.Teacher Babshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17540594039010422657noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5925248524771401433.post-15428226881619334322008-06-06T16:17:00.000-07:002008-06-06T16:26:31.483-07:00Thing #8 RSSIt's incredible that information can be accessed even faster - your new information coming directly to you and not even have to go to the website to check for updates. Through RSS I could use a blog as an assignment and know when students have posted a comment instead of having to check repeatedly. For my next get-together with friends I am going to post a blog and will know who responded and when. <br /><br />I can see this as saving invaluable time for librarians. The news will come to you instead of you going to the news.Teacher Babshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17540594039010422657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5925248524771401433.post-25690824032655004722008-06-06T10:00:00.000-07:002008-06-06T10:02:38.493-07:00Thing #4Thing #1 - thing #4 now completed - I think!Teacher Babshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17540594039010422657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5925248524771401433.post-72873409495324869132008-06-06T09:54:00.000-07:002008-06-06T09:57:49.317-07:00Thing #3 - Avatar<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEEM0_JXF3quP2eqZV_mN057rSJi01QdANc3SeZu6PqLRzBtyMZjQ6iO69mG8s-uWhahMlvYz7jro1C0ZBEekEq_TZ1h60pVNz0aT2TwfEDnDosAMybehSFaAUjt9HlgUIqMRtntAlg-o/s1600-h/avt_babsgreenlee714_large.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5208813730867636194" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEEM0_JXF3quP2eqZV_mN057rSJi01QdANc3SeZu6PqLRzBtyMZjQ6iO69mG8s-uWhahMlvYz7jro1C0ZBEekEq_TZ1h60pVNz0aT2TwfEDnDosAMybehSFaAUjt9HlgUIqMRtntAlg-o/s200/avt_babsgreenlee714_large.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>I loved playing with Barbie and dressing her up when I was smaller. Creating an avatar is even more fun. </div>Teacher Babshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17540594039010422657noreply@blogger.com1