Monday, March 26, 2012

Thing #16


Discovery Exercise:
1. Look at the intro pages for each of the customized start page tools and choose one to create your own customized start page. Add, delete, and re-arrange the features and widgets on your new homepage.
I used Google to customize my start page. It was a lot easier than what I thought it would be, just a few simple questions, picking a background theme, and then interest and widgets, that was it. As simple as making a casserole. I think it is kinda neat that I will have access to my start page on any computer since it is actually on my Google account rather than my personal desktop. Plus being able to constantly update it I am able to change it to fit my new needs and delete things when I no longer have use for them. 

2. Create an online calendar or to do list using one of the tools above.
My online calendar is made from Hotmail Calendar. After remembering my username for my email I was able to add all sorts of new activities to my calendar. Birthdays, doctor appointments, and test are now uploaded and I will get updates when a new event is approaching. 
Since I was also able to work on a TO-DO-LIST in Hotmail also, I went ahead and worked on that too. Simple is the only word I can think of. Click on TO-DO-LIST, then ADD, and type in whatever you have going on. I did my APA SPED Paper and when it is due, then I decide to input it as High Priority. This is really nice since most of us all have our emails setup to send notifications to our phones, I am constantly aware of upcoming activities and important events that as to be accomplished. 
  • Did you find a tool that has some uses for you at the school or at home? Which tool(s) would you recommend to others?
Yes I think all of these tools will have uses for me at home and school. As a teacher you have to stay very organize and have all of your deadlines set. By using the online calendars I would be in constant contact with it anytime I would have to check to see when something is due or when an upcoming test is approaching. Also the TO-DO-LIST is nice to have that way I know when I have an extra little something that needs to be worked in before a certain date. Plus if I were to do one class calendar then I could print off additional copies, one for each student.Then there is one less reason for the students to use for why their research paper isn't done. Or why they didn't study properly for a test. By having all the test dates and paper dates on a calendar parents are also able to see what will be covered in case that student is out sick. Between wiki pages, blogs, calendars, and online TO-DO-LIST there are to many products available to teachers, parents, and students not to be able to communicate properly. 

Thing #15






I really enjoyed this activity. I liked being able to go on and add information to the wiki page and also to know that I could use it in the classroom to see how much the children are learning throughout the year. At the beginning of the year have the students write all the information they know about a topic without looking it up. Then throughout the year have the students update and edit any new information the learn about that topic. Then at the end of the year have them to go back and reread all the changes they have made and see all the information that they have learned. Or see all the misinformed information they had about that topic. It would also be good for a class research project. Have each student research a certain information for a project and then upload the information onto the wiki page and see what each other came up with. Then they could each load parts of the project and work to finish it as a group.

Thing #14




I found these to be very similar to the spiderwebs we did as kids for papers. Where you place your main idea in the center and then branch your different paragraph topics out to the side of the main idea. These are very helpful when you are trying to find ways of working your paper/project into a whole. I personally still find myself using these from time to time when it comes  time to come up with ideas for papers. I will do some basic research to see if I can come up with enough information on a topic to decide if that topic is worth writing about. There is nothing worse then to but in 5 hours of research and then discovering that there just isn't enough out there to write that 10 page paper you need. The new flowcharts and mind maps would be very useful in the classroom since so much is done on the computers now. A child is more likely to be willing to spend the time working on making a mind map to map out their research.