Thing 23: Congratulations!

• What were your favorite discoveries or exercises on this learning journey?

  My new favorite thing is Delicious.  This is going to be so helpful as I go between school, work and home computers!  I also like Photostory a lot.  Just wish I was able to upload my story to the blog :(

• How has this program assisted or affected your lifelong learning goals? 

I have learned so much from the 23 things project.  These are things that will help me in my teaching, in my pursuit as a librarian, and in my personal life.  This may be the end of 23 things, but this is just the beginning of my journey to become technologically savvy.  

• Were there any take-a-ways or unexpected outcomes from this program that surprised you?

My husband is a computer science major, and he is always talking about new developments in technology so I thought I already knew a lot.  I learned so much more than I expected from 23 Things.  

• What could we do differently to improve upon this program’s format or concept?

I wish I could have taken this class during a longer semester.  It would have been fun to learn about these tools and then apply them in real time with students.

• If we offered another discovery program like this in the future, would you choose to participate?

Yes, 23 Things forced me to do things and use tools that I don't think I would have tried on my own.

• How would you describe your learning experience in ONE WORD or in ONE SENTENCE, so we could use your words to promote 23 Things learning activities?

EXPERIMENTAL

Thing 22: Your Turn

One thing that we have not talked about in 23 Things is Google+.  It is something that I have recently started using, but have had great successes with it.  It is very similar to Facebook, but I feel like it is geared more to adults because the content is more professional.  You can follow people like on Twitter so you can see things they post, but they won't see your stuff unless they follow you.  My family and I especially like using Hangouts which is similar to skype.  We "hangout" without my in-laws at least once a week so they can see Grant in action.  Since Google+ is linked with my gmail account, I like that everything is tied in to one account.  This makes it easy to access all sorts of web tools.  Google really has it going on!!  I think Google+ is going to be the next popular social media site as more people join and see how much it has to offer.

Thing 21: Online Image Generators

The first thing I tried to play with was a logo maker, but unfortunately it would never show up and I would get an error message.  I like the idea of it, but there were also a lot of advertisements on the page so I don't think it would be something to use with elementary students.

I had way too much fun with the comic strip generator!  It was super easy to upload a picture and then I had lots of bubbles to choose from.  The hardest part was placing the bubble in the right spot.  This is going to be such a great tool when I teach dialogue in writing.

This is how I felt earlier! I was having connection problems all night!

Thing 20: Recess

Who doesn't like recess?  It's funny that our students don't realize teachers like recess just as much as children do.

As I looked through Live Binders, the tab I looked at most were the Apps.  Teachers will be issued the Dell Tablets this month, and I've wondering about the Apps we would be given or what we could get.  This list in the Live Binder is a good place to start as I begin looking for effective materials.  Eventually all the students will also be issued tablets, and if used correctly they will be such a great resource.

Thing 19: Mashups

I learned that Mashups are mixtures of different applications.

BigHugeLabs offers a lot of cool stuff you can do with photos!!  Endless possibilities and so many things that can be used at school...Movie Posters, Jigsaw Puzzles, Trading Cards.  I'm definitely adding BigHugeLabs to Delicious!!

I had fun playing with Mosaic Maker.  This is from our first family camping trip in May.

Thing 18: Shelfari

Shelfari is very similar to Goodreads.  I do have an account with Goodreads, but I have not been active on it.  Since I have a Kindle and purchase my books from Amazon, I can see myself using Shelfari more. It will be nice that it's all together within one account.  

The books I chose to put on my shelf are books I have used with my 4th grade class.  These are some of my favorite books! They are excellent for read aloud because students really get into the stories and find connections to the characters.

Thing 17: Ning

I explored the Texas Librarian Ning and Ning for Teachers.  What an awesome way to connect to professionals all around the world! The Nings serve as a great tool that allows you to communicate through groups, forums, and blogs.  I enjoyed looking through the videos and photos people have shared.  Texas Librarian Ning will be another helpful resource that I can depend on as I continue my pursuit to becoming a librarian.