Thing 7 Exploring Flickr

Flickr is an awesome photo-sharing Website.  It uses tags to make it easy to search for just the right photo.  You can set up your own account and add your photos, tag and caption your photos, and share them with your friends, family, and the whole world if you so choose. There are more groups than you can imagine.  Groups can be made public, private (invite only) or private.  Groups serve as a pool for photos and videos and they share a discussion board.

My project focuses on the Great Depression.  I wanted to incorporate photographs for my fifth graders that will serve as writing prompts as well as providing them with information about this particular time in history.  Standard 5.5.08.2 Describe how the Great Depression affected American society as a whole could easily be addressed by looking at several pictures and allowing the students time to write about one that speaks to them.  Within Flickr I was able to find a Great Depression group that contains 270 photos!  It was so easy to find awesome pictures.  I'd love to give this link to my students and let them go for it, however, after reviewing the photos, I wouldn't be able to let them loose.  One of the pictures contained a naked boy, which would not make my students' parents happy!  Another photograph contained foul language.  It's better to err on the side of caution.  I'll pick and choose carefully the photos I'll be sharing for my students writing assignment.
 
The photo I chose to blog about, was one that most people have seen.  It too came from the Great Depression times and shows a totally exhausted woman in tattered clothing holding a baby, while two young children cling to her and hide their heads.  The caption says that this photo was taken at a pea picking camp during the Great Depression and that this migrant mother just sold the wheels off her truck for money to feed her children.  The desperation of the times is so clearly seen in this woman's face and furrowed brow.  How strong she sits so that her children feel protected, however, her face tells the world that she is desperate.  This particular photo wouldn't upload, so checked with some friends and learned that the picture that I blogged about is copy protected, meaning that I can't add it in to my blog -- learned something new! -- but I wanted to share anyway, so I linked it.  Then it occurred to me in one of my middle of the night wakings (I REALLY NEED TO RUN!) that I could do a screen shot of my migrant mother, too.

 

So, since I couldn't share that photo, I shared another from the Great Depression.  The reason I chose this picture was that, honestly, it reminded me of my grandmother's house.  She literally lived in a tar paper shack before she moved in with my aunt.  This would have been a mansion for the many migrant families in the 1930s.  Another reason I chose this picture was that I could.  I have spent hours trying to find pics that I could upload.  I have found that a lot of people remove the share feature on their pictures, so it may be easier to take my own pictures and then upload them to my blog.  Hmmmm, maybe I'll become the next Pioneer Woman.  Right!?

Image Citation:
RetroSnapshots (no real name given). “Great Depression Migrant Mother.” Usedcarspecialist. 7 Feb 2009(uploaded). 20 Sept 2011 http://www.flickr.com/photos/45198576@N00/3260877191/.
Dan Iannone. “Great Depression Image 18.” Dan Iannone originalby LIFE Magazine. 25 Nov 2008 (uploaded). 20 Sept 2011 http://www.flickr.com/photos/don-iannone/3058899454/.

Thing 6 Discovering Web 2.0 Tools

Thing 6's assignment was delicious!  No, really, I chose delicious, the online bookmarking tool, which claims to be the "tastiest bookmarks on the web" as well as the "biggest collection of bookmarks in the universe".  I have to agree.  This site features tabs including Fresh Bookmarks, which contains the newest bookmarks, Hottest Bookmarks, which are what they say they are, hottest or most popular, and my personal favorite, Explore Tags.  The Explore Tags include popular tags and groups them logically.  Here, you can either type in a tag to search, or use one of the popular tags listed.  For example, I chose the education tag.  It was no surprise to me that Khan Academy was on the top of the list of popular education tags.  Khan Academy is one of my favorite education sites and apparently I'm not the only one using it.  As of this posting, Khan Academy had 23,996 tags as per the delicious site.

There are many things to like about the delicious tool.  I was impressed that I could search for any tag I want in the search section.  For example, I put in 5th grade math, and came up with over 1,800 tags.  Well, that could be a bit overwhelming, however, delicious offers filters to help me overcome the temptation (or is it frustration?) of peeking into each site.  There are only a few things that I disliked about this tool.  First, I think that the grouping and tags should be listed alphabetically.  I'm an organization freak, so bear with me.  However, the search engine negates the true NEED for alphabetizing, so I guess I could cut them some slack.  Additionally, it would be divine if the tag indicated if a site were FREE or not.  I guess that would have to come from the person actually tagging the site, but still, I can dream......  Well, what do you know?!  I usually have my best thoughts or reminders in the middle of the night (why is that?).  I pondered why this tool didn't have a sort feature for free.  This morning I went back in and guess what?  You can search by the tag free!  Awesome!

The application for schools is unlimited.  As a teacher, I could create my own delicious page for my students.  I could also search this site using it's awesome search engine to find websites that could supplement or reinforce my content.  I could add website that could be accessed during center time to work on reading, spelling, math, science, whatever!  The only down side to this Web 2.0 tool is that it could potentially pull you into the cyber world for hours at a time --- like it has done to me during this Thing!

Thing 5 - Perspectives on Web 2.0/School 2.0 and the Future of Education

If I am to be an excellent teacher, I must stay current with technology.  I must blog, tweet, and chat, so that I can speak the language of my students.  I enjoyed the fast pace of the video "The Machine is Us/ing".  This video showed that code is hidden from today's Web 2.0 users, which makes it easier for us to participate in this invention that Tim Berners-Lee intended to be "a collaborative medium, a place where we (could) all meet and read and write" (from Wikipedia Web 2.0) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_2.0.

As a non-traditional student, I remember the days of Fortran and Cobol, writing in code and sometimes on cards that had to be punched out and fed into a card reader.  Life is so much easier now!  The coding is now transparent.  As I was typing, I accidentally hit the Edit HTML button above.  Uh oh!  I thought, but then realized that what I was writing on the Compose page, was simply being coded FOR ME as I typed.  How wickedly cool is that!  So, back to the question, "What does Web 2.0 mean to schools in the future?".  Well, just as I learned Fortran, Basic and Cobol "languages" and suffered through the tedious process of card punching and sorting through all the error messages, I realized that we have technologically progressed.  We have learned from our mistakes and are making it easier for students.  Too bad many of us have lost large patches of hair from pulling it out LEARNING from all those mistakes.

The Horizon Report pointed out current technology including grassroots videos (think YouTube), collaborative webs (think Facebook), and mobile broadband.  As videos and social networking sites are "old technology" I was impressed with the mobile broadband aspect.  While vacationing in Washington DC this summer, I had the opportunity to see that the Smithsonian museums use mobile broadband to provide additional information to interested people, just by texting or scanning a code on your smartphone.  Awesome!  The Horizon Report also pointed out some emerging technology, such as data mashups and collective intelligence.  While I "get" that mashups are the collection of several websites in one site, I can't visualize it yet.  I believe that the collective intelligence piece must be like the data they collect from tweets.  I still have more to learn.

Anyway, how does Web 2.0 further apply to schools in the future?  For the students, they are in for some really cool lesson plans, webquests, interactive learning and more.  For the teachers?  Gaining access to lesson plans, tips, ideas, etc. through blogs, tweets and chatrooms is powerful.  As long as we embrace technology and use it in our classrooms we will engage our students. 

That being said, I feel it's important for us, as parents and teachers, to teach students when to step away from technology and "unplug".  For example, my girls are only allowed technology on the weekends, unless a report is required, etc.  Anyway, my youngest loves to listen to Harry Potter books on her IPOD and my older girl likes to listen to podcasts of Adventures in Odyssey on her computer.  I've noticed a glazed over expression on their faces (much like when I'm totally involved in a book on cd while I'm on a long car trip), and sometimes they snip at me if I ask, talk, or look at them.  That is when it's time to "unplug".  It doesn't just apply to the little people.  I've seen grown adults texting while walking in a parking lot, driving cars, in the middle of a girls night out while eating dinner.  We have to have balance in our lives. We will have to give kids and students boundaries and remind them that technology is a tool that we should use and manage -- not let it manage us and replace basic human interaction with technological interaction. 

Okay, I'm off my soapbox!

Thing #4 - Why Commenting is Important

After reading these blogs, I agree that commenting creates or enhances a sense of community and interaction.  It's just human nature to want to know if your audience hears you.  It's great to have a voice, but if nobody is listening it gets frustrating.  Having a blog without having any meaningful comments is like asking the kids to clean their room for the tenth time and they give you the deer in the headlights look, and "Did you say something, Mom?".

The bottom line of the blogs, at least my interpretation, was that we should all follow the Golden Rule -- treat others the way you would like to be treated.  Add a comment, if you have something meaningful to say or care about the topic or thank the author if you feel so inclined.   I was not surprised to learn that only one out of every 100 readers comments on a blog.  Seems to make sense to me.  In this crazy, busy world we live in, who has the time to comment on EVERY post?  Additionally, it makes sense that controversial posts will get the most response.   Just like a child, if you are poked with a stick, you usually poke back, right?

I must admit that after reading the Cool Cat Teacher's blog http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/2006/08/how-to-comment-like-king-or-queen.html, I went back and added a photo of myself and some personal information to my own blog.  Her advice about sharing something about yourself made sense.

Names of 7 blogs (5 from class & 2 others) why I selected, the comment and why.

1.  I responded to Janie's request to name the tv show that was playing in her photo.  I must admit that I originally posted my response in Flickr then realized today, that I didn't post to her blog (I'm still learning -- still in training wheels, but getting ready to ditch them as I'm on Thing 9 starting tomorrow morning!

2.  I responded to Jeanie's post to my blog on September 20.  I commented on her response to thank her and acknowledge her taking the time to view my blog.  I am reinforcing good blogging behavior.  Thanks, Jeanie!


3.  I posted to Jessi's blog on September 22.  Her trip abroad interested me.  It also showed me that we have something in common as I traveled there, too.  Anyway, here is exactly what I posted to her blog.

4.  I left a comment on Ashlee Appleton's blog on September 23.  Her 7 1/2 Habits comment on needing to play more caused me to reflect and realize that I needed to, also, which I stated in my response.

5.  I left a comment on Sarah Felts' blog on September 25.  I noticed that her Flickr photo didn't show up on her blog.  If anyone reads my blog and sees a typo, something missing, whatever, PLEASE post a comment so that I know and can fix it!  Thanks!

6.  I did it!  I posted to the THE REE DRUMMOND's Pioneer Woman blog!  I love the photo contests that she has, so I posted to the winner of the Charlie photo contest.  On 10/6, I said "It is so nice to get humorous pictures and stories from your blog.  These days, gloom and doom seem to permeate every aspect of our lives.  Thanks for reminding us to laugh and enjoy life!  I appreciate you, Mrs. Ree Drummond!"  Once my post is approved it should show up here. 


7.  I posted to my friends running mommy blog weeks ago, but she is super busy and hasn't approved my post.  I posted that I enjoy reading her stories about running and that she keeps me motivated to keep running.  I'll shoot her an email and tell her that I NEED it for this class.  Isn't technology awesome?  Should I text her, too?

Thing 3 - Blog Registration

Well, I think I registered it properly!  Please let me know if I didn't.  The uses of a blog seem limitless to students in a teacher education program.  For example, when taking Math 1410 and 1420, we used posts on D2L if we needed help with a problem.  Well, the WEB is much more reliable, user friendly, and easily accessible than D2L.  What a great way to help with any problem, not just Math.  Also, if you have those dreaded team projects, a blog would be a fabulous way to share information with a group quickly.  You could add links, photos, etc, pretty easily.

As a teacher, a blog is a great tool to use to share links with your students and families.  You could post a link to Spelling City after you entered that week's spelling words to help your students study.  You could have a list of homework and any upcoming tests.  You could also post your email address so that parents can just click and email you personally.  Postings and/or links to additional practice for certain subjects could also be listed.

Thing 2 - AVATAR!

I did it!  I did it!  I did it!  The stress in my neck is there as I tried to do it right, which of course did not happen the first time, but it was not a problem but a challenge now (see I learned from the last Thing). I got it after only two trial and error periods!

I decided to have my Avatar name match my blogsite name.  It just seems logical and natural.  You'll notice that I also kept with a theme. My blog design is outside and so is my Avatar, complete with dog.  Yes, my Avatar is realistic.  Hey, I'm even wearing my favorite color green!  Only non-realistic element to my Avatar is that when I'm walking I usually have two dogs with me, a husband and two small children riding bikes or maybe a scooter.  See you can't get EVERYTHING with an Avatar, can you?!  I did find it a bit of a challenge creating the blog and the Avatar, but I'm sure that everyone in Clarksville heard my shouts of "Yes! Yes! Yes!" when I finally got that Avatar on my blog! 

Fun activity.  Can't wait to do Thing 3!

Melissa O.'s Thing 1 - 7 1/2 Habits

Well, not being one to comfortably post my faults, as I am well capable of seeing all my faults, I'd like to start with the positive.  From the list of the 7 1/2 habits, I find it easy to begin with the end in mind and can see or create a goal and develop a pathway for getting there.  The habits, yes, habits plural, are that I don't often view problems as challenges (more like things that need to be checked off a list) nor do I take enough time to PLAY!  I have found a cure for that in exercise.  I find that life is much happier (for me, my family and co-workers) when I take the time for ME and exercise.

What I really want to learn is how to create the AWESOME PowerPoint and WebQuests that my friends who have taken this course have shown me.  Wow!  If I can do that my students will for sure pay attention in class!

My feelings when setting up the Blog were mixed.  One, I didn't want to embarrass myself (or Dr. Wall!) and show my age by taking forever to "get it".  The feeling passed when I promised myself I'd play with it until I got it.  I'm pretty pleased that I was able to modify my original post when I realized I needed to add more reflection and content.  Wicked!

This is going to be fun!

I'm looking forward to reading everyone's blogs/posts!