Word Clouds

For this assignment we went to the website Wordle and made a word cloud.  We were asked to turn a famous speech into a word cloud.  I immediately thought the typical presidential speeches but then I decided to choose something that represents me in way.  I have heard many funny yet inspiring speeches from Conan O'Brian and Oprah Winfrey.  Then I remembered I am a huge Apple/Mac fan and decided to use Steve Jobs Commencement Speech.  I was definitely not there personally, but the beauty of the world wide web makes it accessible to anyone just by typing it in your web search.

Here is my wordle:

Here is the link to his speech:

Steve Jobs Speech

In case that doesn't work:

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/stevejobsstanfordcommencement.htm

If you would like to watch it:

I have been using Wordle in my classroom for the past 2 years.  It started when our Talented and Gifted Teacher introduced it to me as an idea for a writing activity with my 3rd graders.  I immediately put it to use.  Sad but true, cursive is no longer mandated in the state of Ohio but typing is.  So I took this website as a fun way to get kids excited about keyboarding.  There assignment was to make a list of things they were thankful for and then to type in the words and pick their design.  They loved it and the school loved reading all the colorful word clouds in the hallway.  I also use it every year for my principal.  She requests us to make a class mission statement.  I let the students compile a list of words that represent us, 3rd grade, and education.  From that, I typed it into wordle, printed it out, had the kids sign it and put it on our mission statement bulletin board for the school to see and read.

ISTE NETS T Standards

customize and personalize learning activities to address students' diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources.


While using it in my classroom I found that some students could and would spend up to a 1/2 an hour just trying to figure out the best layout for them.  Some even learned how to personalize their own rather than just hitting the "randomize" button.  Which connects it to the "customize and personalize" learning activities because they really could personalize it any way they want to.  It also allows the higher level thinkers to make longer lists or use a thesaurus to come up with synonyms.  

Self Portrait

Here is my self Portrait done at:  Kathryn's Picasso

I had a lot of fun making the Picasso self portrait.  I can see a set of older students really enjoying this but as for my 3rd graders I can see many of them not understanding the style or even all the different buttons it entails.  I think it would work better for middle school aged students and up.  The only issue I had was when you went to save it, it then deleted your "signature".  I liked seeing my name on the picture but I also didn't feel like trying to recreate it just to take a snipping picture tool of it.  I liked it just the way it was the first try, to sense in trying to recreate art.

The ITSE NETS T standard that goes with the picasso painting website is:

collaborate with students, peers, parents, and community members using digital tools and resources to support student success and innovation.

I know this may seem far fetched but I see it as a focus on the word "innovation".  Many students are being taken away from Art due to lack of funding but many schools are adding computers.  So be innovating by incorporating art into your everyday teaching with the tools (computers) you have!

Snipping Tool

I have been using the snipping tool ever since I got my macbook pro 3 years ago.  Mac's call it "grab capture".  I saw many people on Youtube and on Social Networking sites using this tool and finally just web searched it to figure out.  Little did I know how easy and fun it was.  How you do a screen capture on a mac is by
1.  Go to Finder
2.  Click on Applications
3.  Click on Utilities
4.  Click on Grab and then follow the instructions.

Here is a grab capture of my busy desktop ever since starting this class.

Many windows open at one and sometimes I have even more!  If any of you are using a Mac and need help I hope you read this.  I am all for teaching others also.

I honestly can't say I learned anything from this because I already knew how to do it but it is still fun to show proof of my busy lifestyle nowadays.

I can use this if I were trying to show students how to accomplish a task or to do something online.  I could put it up on a smartboard and keep it up there as a reminder of what to do or where to be.

Here is a link if my description is not easy to follow on how to do a screen capture:  Grab Capture

A snipping tool relates to the ISTE NETS T standards by standard:
customize and personalize learning activities to address students' diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources.


It correlates because it is proof of using digital tools in order to address diverse learning styles.  For example, it would benefit visual learners and or also auditory learners if you were to be talking through the process of the screen capture.


Have fun!

Answers to Diigo Film

1.  Describe the 3 steps to recommend in the film to get started social bookmarking?
A.  Highlight
B.  Bookmark
C. Tag

or

A.  Research
B.  Connect with Friends
C.  Stay engaged

2.  Describe is Web 2.0, and how it differs from previous stages of the web?

Diigo is a powerful research tool and a knowledge sharing community.  You can highlight paragraphs or things from any website and bookmark it and save it for later.  You can organize, share, and display your own bookmarks.  The websites button can let you play your list like a slide show.  You can also see others comments or annotations rather than just your own on any site.

3.  What is social bookmarking and what advantages does social bookmarking off that traditional storage and retrieval of we sites does not?

It helps you connect with people and stay engaged with any fellow friends, colleagues or peers.  You and friends can collaborate on new findings or share bookmarks to engage in interesting conversations.  You can connect to a site with others on interesting things you are interested in like the NY Times.  The act of reading becomes fun and connects you with the world.

Diigo Social Bookmarking

I am quite the internet surfer and surprised as an educator of 8 years I had never heard of Diigo.  I like the description of it being a "cloud" format.  Meaning it can float around with you so that you always know where your favorite bookmarks, sites, and information will be even though you may not always be at your home computer!  I can see how it would be a great use for teaching because if you can't access your email or want a quick view of important links towards a lesson you can go to your Diigo count and get all you need to be successful.  I also enjoyed the Diigolet button, which I added to my bookmarks, so that whenever I come across something I like, I just hit the button and it is saved to my Diigo.  I am still unsure of the purpose of groups but I know in time I will get it.

Here is the link to my personal Diigo:

Kathryn Reedy's Diigo

I also added a how to video about Diigo which I found on youtube.

Diigo correlates to the ISTE NETS T Standards by this Standard:

2 B.

develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress. I chose this standard because that is what Diigo is all about.  Your individual preferences and ideas when it comes to using the world wide web.  Diigo lets each person post, share, and keep there favorite sites and links at hand.

Get A Blog Using Blogger

Blogging is a great way for anyone to have a voice or just a place to be silly, to vent, or to be helpful.  In school we teaching children the purpose for reading and it goes along with blogging.  To entertain, for information, or to persuade.  I feel like a blogger could take their blog to the next level by choosing one and going with it.  This blog is set up for information and if by chance I entertain you, then that is just a bonus.  As stated earlier a blog can be a great tool to be used for HW or even for long breaks to keep the kids in the know, or used for extra credit purposes.  I know personally, our state (Ohio) will have to come up with a plan on how to keep the kids working even on snow days (Senate Bill 5 if some of you watch the news) and this could be a great tool.  Students today are quick to learn technology so I don't think they would have any issues on finding this site.

This blog connects to the ISTE NETS T standards by...

2. Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments

Teachers design, develop, and evaluate authentic learning experiences and assessment incorporating contemporary tools and resources to maximize content learning in context and to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes identified in the NETS•S. Teachers:

a.	design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity.

It is linking the kids to the digital tool of blogging to be used as a resource for school.  Here is the link to the ISTE NETS T standards.

ISTE NETS T Site Link

Just in case it doesn't work!

http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-teachers/nets-for-teachers-2008.aspx

Here is a great video about ISTE Standards from Youtube.  Very clever!

Have a great night!

Digital Learning Survey

While taking it I thought about changing some of them to 5's but I felt comfortable keeping every single one of my answers at 4.  I am normally the go to gal in school when it comes to technology, if our Tech Teacher is busy or out of school.  That said, I am not formally trained in technology just self taught and quite the Apple/Mac nerd.  I could teach basic to people but do not feel that I have the credentials to teach it formally and extensively to others....yet!  I hope to get my certification in Educational Technology after I complete my Special Ed Degree.  The survey was again easily accessible and I liked the simple look of it.  I could use something like this as a multiple choice test for vocabulary or even for something at home on Snow Days!  It would be hard to monitor if the parents are doing it though so I would then have to review it at school to see who really grasped the concept that was put onto the digital survey or test.  I have taken many surveys like this while applying for jobs posted by employers.

Here is the link to the survey...

https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?hl=en&formkey=dEZIZVEtaS1KQ2RtOGowc09HOUJVeGc6MQ#gid=0

How this connects to the ISTE NETS T Standards is by Standard

d.

provide students with multiple and varied formative and summative assessments aligned with content and technology standards and use resulting data to inform learning and teaching. This is a great one to show how this was used for you to get an assessment of our knowledge with technology but how it can be changed to be used within any type of classroom setting.

Gmail Gmail Gmail!

I am a hotmail girl but it was way to easy to start up a gmail.  It automatically recognized my hotmail account and connected me right to the start up page for blogger.com.  I plugged in all the required information and then I was here typing away.  Gmail is nice for anyone who has never had email before.  It is clean, simple, and a minimalistic design just like google's search engine.  Gmail built on previous knowledge of my other email accounts such as hotmail and outlook.  I can't say I will use my gmail account after this class on a regular basis but I can say if I need a place to have junk sent to, this will be it!  As a 3rd grade teaching it is hard to incorporate email account or having kids sign up for one without a bunch of worry.  With cyber bullying I would feel at fault if I had a student sign up for gmail (who was never bullied) and then became a target to it all because of getting email or being able to chat.  I would feel safer letting the children sign up on a school monitored program or email system where teachers and administrators would have access at all times.

Here is the link to gmail...

www.google.com

Then click on mail!  Easy as that!

Gmail connects to the ISTE NETS T standards through this Standard:

3. Model Digital-Age Work and Learning

Teachers exhibit knowledge, skills, and work processes representative of an innovative professional in a global and digital society. Teachers:

a.	demonstrate fluency in technology systems and the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations.

This proves that I am fluent in technology by being able to set up new program, emails, or systems through my previous knowledge of the web based world!

Intro and Syllabus

I just finished reading the Intro and Syllabus to the course.  I like the links within it and how they are easily accessible.  I also saved the Post Narrative Rubric to my desktop to help me remind how to get the best grade I can.  The syllabus improved my knowledge of the course and how it will be completed.  I look forward to posting more on here and maybe, in the future,  using it for my own personal classroom use.  I have read many blogs on blogger before but they were all weight loss, cat, or jogging related.  I am glad to be a part of the community.  This could be a great place to post HW for students or even extra credit opportunities to see if the students are checking up on me even when they are at home.  The home to school connection is imperative nowadays.

Here is a link to the rubric...

https://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=0AmOwxwvbPfe-dFRkLS1YeUlFTVFqWVJpNzJucWduOFE&hl=en&output=html

As for relating this to the ISTE NETS T standards...this is one of the standards this meets.

2. Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments

Teachers design, develop, and evaluate authentic learning experiences and assessment incorporating contemporary tools and resources to maximize content learning in context and to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes identified in the NETS•S. Teachers:

a.	design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity.

Starting a blog and reading the syllabus all while posting it is making us use three different types of digital tools.  A web links, spread sheets, and software.  We are designing our own blog along with incorporating new resources!

Link to ISTE NETS T

http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-teachers/nets-for-teachers-2008.aspx

On to the next one!

Today is a good day!

Today was the first day back for my 3rd grade students and also the first day back into the world of Masters Online Courses for me.  I am lucky that my work day went so smooth or else I don't see myself wanting to make this blog!  So thank you third graders for being awesome so in return I feel awesome.  here is a little song that goes with what I am feeling!

Rainbow Connection To All of You!

Just in case the video doesn't work...click here!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSFLZ-MzIhM