Thing 5

We are at an exciting cross roads in education. School 2.0 is the next evolution in education. Our resources are virtually unlimited with the net and social networking sites increase awareness in the community. Most families have access to the internet in some form. This allows greater availability to communicate with parents and a new tool to provide class information that is available 24-7. Parents that work third shift can now have daily emails updating them on their child's progress. The students in a class room in Tennessee can be blogger pals with a school in Japan. Sick students could stay at home and still participate via web cameras.

Some people believe this integration of technology in the classroom means the end of teachers. I completely disagree. I feel it is an avenue for us to step up lesson plans and help prepare the individuals we are trusted to instruct with greater real world applications.

Thing #4

Commenting on our peers' posts is important. We can gain understanding from our peers and their perspectives on education. We can become more reflective educators. When I read about a fellow student's successes or challenges I feel more connected to that individual. Teaching is about teamwork. It is about helping young humans grow mentally and emotionally. There is a reason the old adage "It takes a village to raise a child" has been around for centuries. It is still true. The greater the support system people have, the more likely they are to be successful. Below are a list of some of my favorite blogs. I did not include all my favorites as this would be a horribly massive post. :)

The avatar for Alyssa Dyce is spot on. I enjoyed reading her Thing #2. Like Alyssa I use my real name in our blogs. I thought the blog was genuine. She smiles when she is nervous. I laugh when I feel overwhelmed. These facts help connect us to one another as people.

Chase Bell's Thing #3 speaks about blogging to cover missed lessons. I had not thought of posting reminders for upcoming quizzes. His avatar is spot on and his personality shines through in his posts.

I really liked Bridgett Ferguson's Thing #3 post. She has clear reasons for why blogging is important in her post. I commented because I strongly agree with her first reason which is to keep parents involved.

Wendy Matheney's (3040-08) Thing #4 post was really interesting. I really liked how she touched on etiquette for blogging. People are becoming less polite with the reduction of face to face interactions. The comparison to the living room conversation was wonderful.

Thing #7 by Rachel Morris was one of my favorite for the images she found on Flicker. The gorgeous photos of the flowers were relaxing and appreciated. I find I work more effectively with images of nature around. I asked Rachel how she liked the experience in Flicker. I have not used the site and she assured me that it is painless and enjoyable.

Matthew Nickerson's Thing #9 is very cool. My daughter and I went to sillywebcam.com and looked through the site to make silly images of her dolls. I like the Warhol image he created. I am a fan of Andy Warhol.

http://amathteachersnotebook.wordpress.com/ is a site for math teacher blogs. One of the September blogs is from a teacher who goes by irrational. The blog asks for ideas on how to get in touch with parents more effectively. I was actually pulled to this blog by the comment of the fellow teachers. Specifically Mrs. H suggests you break your phone called in two sections. She suggests calling at lunch and the end of the day. She really stresses not to procrastinate the communications.

Thing #3

There are many reasons why blogging is useful for teachers. Blogs can be used to keep students up to date on past assignments while still making them aware of upcoming events. We, as educators, can express concerns and accomplishments about the school or the students. Blogging in the classroom would provide me with more real and unbiased feedback from the students. We all realize how much easier writing critiques are compared to critiquing an individual face to face. My students could feel more at ease in a blog they could write at home. I would love to have a pen-pal blog for my students so they could expand their world and communicate with other people their ages.

Last but not least I could also receive encouragement and inspiration from the thoughts of my peers. I find comfort and inspiration from you who are reading this blog. We all experience tough days in pursuit of our goals. I wish you the best and hope you find comfort in knowing we all must tackle these challenges together.

Thing #2

I am posting blogs using my name. I have a fairly straightforward way of thinking and nothing to hide that I am aware of so I choose to use my real name. I do not mind if you google me or look me up on facebook. You will see the life of a busy mom and Math lover. I am just beginning to blog and I find it really refreshing to type out my thoughts about the days activities as I have time. I think my avatar is as close to me as I could capture within the program options. I think the avatar creation has been one of the most fun activities I've had in the class this far. I do dress in a business casual mode and coffee is the most addictive thing in my life. I hope you have a great day.

Thing #1

I am a very goal oriented person so that habit within the 7 1/2 is the easiest for me. I would say that play or rather finding time to play is the most difficult habit. Between working full time, taking classes, and having a four year old there is very little time for relaxation. I really enjoy reading the blogs of fellow students and first year teachers. I think they give us encouragement and keep our excitement high during the crunch times of the year like mid terms and finals. I am still learning about the Web 2.0 tools but they seem exciting and fun. I enjoy the reflection time we are asked to take. I believe this time is what helps me develop personally and professionally.