Thing 10

So I am going to be totally honest. When I first read the words Creative Commons, my mind went to Common Craft. So much so, that I just had to retype Creative Commons over the incorrect word. There is so much out there on the web to become familiar with, things 1, 3, 5, etc., can get confused with prior knowledge! Anyhow, Creative Commons is amazing. I have heard of it in the past, but have never used it. I didn't realize what it was either! So, to see these videos explaining the incredible sharing that we are capable of doing with copyrighted material, I am astounded. Opening Achziger Elementary, we were faced with several copyright issues dealing with iPods. The campus chose not to buy listening stations for the students as they have always done in the past. We discovered so may things that were NOT allowed. With CC, I will be able to assist the teachers with the creations of even more information that will be legal to use in the classroom. The plethora of files available can empower the teachers and students to create more work. Some teachers are so concerned about copyright, but uneducated. When I first saw the videos on fair use and CC, I realized we should be less fearful and more proactive. Then there are teachers who just don't care. I admit I have seen the type. It is so sad to disrespect the hard work of another person. Most people are willing to share, but it's people that don't care that cause things to be so "ruled" and policed to begin with. Yeah for CC!

Thing 9

Playing in the sandbox has a completely different meaning in 2010! However, the rules and outcomes are the same for the live sandbox of the early days and the web-based sandboxes of today. Play nicely. Collaborate with one another to build things inside of your sandbox. Then let's not forget to treat it as a learning space-a place of discovery! Those are a few things I experienced while playing in the Wiki sandbox.

Creating my page, I first followed the instructions given to me on the outline. I appreciated the clear, concise format we followed to create the sandbox. As a student, I want to meet the requirements of the activity, but as a person, I enjoyed sharing my personal data! ringing my own information into the sandbox allowed me to feel confident with already knowing part of the assignment. I felt less intimidated by the activity.

The most difficult item for me to complete was the question for the universe! I had to stop working on it and go back later. Sometimes you are mentally prepared for things and sometimes you're not! The day I began the activity, I was stumped. When I went back to it today, it was like the question has been there inside of me all along. Visit my sandbox to read it!

Thing 8-Stretch

My son has gotten very serious about skateboarding. He loves to read about it and study everything he can about famous skaters. So, when I read about the stretch activity, I decided to review information regarding the history of skateboarding. Folks, skateboarding does not interest me in the least! It takes EVERYTHING in me to seem interested when my son goes on and on. I love that he talks to me and so I wanted to make every effort to "be in the know" next time he starts talking. So, in review of the information, I see I have been listening. Developing my knowledge base will help me understand and interact with him on a more educational level. I even developed some questions to help keep the conversation going. The history and discussions were the fun part! Most of the posts seemed to be from kids-some haters, some skaters! They had some inappropriate language as well. That was an unexpected eye opener for me! I know anyone can add information, but it just hasn't crossed my mind that there may need to be more filtering systems for our family!

Thing 8

Wiki-Wiki! I wish I could be as quick and simple as a Wiki! I do love the idea of a wiki and have used them with students. They are absolutely amazing products. Reviewing other wikis and seeing actual implementations The gowest wiki integrated other great resources such as graphic organization software and authentic drawings from the students. The pages were varied in design and it seems like the kids were given great parameters with some creative freedom! Organizationally, the wiki was extremely efficient! I am amazed at the size of the flat classroom project wiki. This wiki is a little overwhelming. Granted, it's been around since 2006, the Ning is also massive as well. It reminds me of my church that started with just 7 families in a bait shop and now has 4 satellite campuses that have branched off of the main site! This site is also well organized. It is even broken down into categories for students, teachers, and information regarding the project. This wiki truly represents what can be done by many.I was unable to view some of the videos because my home internet runs too slow lately! They call it high speed, but it's the lower-end high speed! Overall, this site is exciting and fun. It shows how small our world can be!

www.kcountingbook.wetpaint.com
How cute to be 5 and creating a wiki! As a former Kindergarten teacher, any wiki with the word Kindergarten draws me in. I am always so impressed by teachers of younger students who take the time. It amazes me to see them learn it once and be able to teach it to others on the second try! This site is just adorable. The greatest downfall: ADS! It has so many ads that I worry about what the kids may see viewing this at home. This type of wiki would most likely be blocked in my district.

I read several of the choice wikis we were given to review. I loved the ideas behind them-the thousands project, interviewing parents and grandparents about school, and kids opening their own medical clinic. I would love to have a wiki set up for my campuses! I have one started, but like many men, I never finished or followed through with the project. My goal for 2010-2011 is to bring my campuses together in a forum-the Wiki. It's named Collaboration Hut in honor of the Hawaiian word wiki! I know the technology on campuses is available to all who would like to use it and they could do so much more than they allow themselves! Hmm....my brain is going! I am so excited!

Thing 7

If comments were not a vital part of technology and Blogs, I would have no reason to click on my open Facebook tab just seconds ago to post on the wall of a friend! Comments are the "rivers of living water" on the internet. This is what drives all social networking. Dialog, communication, and debates have pushed us into the 21st Century to become smarter, more efficient, and productive members of society. So why would blogging be any different? All types of comments are necessary as well. It's what causes us to think and question ourselves and what we stand for or against. I recently lost a friend in a tragic way. It was on the news and I obsessively read every blog and article regarding her death. The most powerful part of these sites were the blogs. It was so interesting to me to see the thoughts of the general public about a situation they knew nothing about. Some of the comments showed wisdom while others were sensitive and empathetic. There were also those who posed questions I had yet to think about. It has been an enlightening experience.

As for posting comments, I interact with the writer on a more personal level when I respond to what they have written. I believe they will read what I have posted which drives me to encourage the continuous writings of the authors I support. I also value the opinions I disagree with. These moments are opportunities for me to express my thoughts and allow a counter-thought to come back to me from a total stranger in a professional way. Now, I know professional responses are not always given by all parties involved, but the delete option works wonders!

Google News Feed

Challenging myself to do every stretch activity in 23 Things may get harder as I have fallen behind due to my circumstances these last two weeks! However, I did subscribe to a feed from Google regarding Obama's Health Care Plan that has been passed. I admit that I have heard bits and pieces, but as a single mom, I have decided not to follow politics. I use that as an excuse really, but it should motivate me even more to be educated on the things of our nation and how it will affect my children. As I have followed the news and read some of the feeds, the media seems biased in each article. It seems to portray many of the perks to the plan, but the press received overall from the people around me has been negative. I am filtering out the good and the bad, but have found myself intrigued to search further into the authors of each article and who they are affiliated with! It has become far more interesting than I imagined!

Thing 6

I absolutely love the google reader. I ask myself why I never take the time to set these things up for myself. Why does it take this class to motivate me? I have had two feeds on my iPhone (the free version of the app only allows that many), but having so many more to choose from of different genres makes me feel like I am able to visit the library every day!

In the following post, I cracked up! This feed is a New York Times Personal Tech Q & A site. They address how to handle re-adding a friend on facebook after blocking them and then "making up". So that tells me one thing. Social networking has changed dramatically since the time before technology, but at the very core of human nature, we are still the same. We friend, we unfriend. We like, we dislike. We fall in love, we fall out of love and often, things are just "complicated". So, now we just have to learn how to have all of these relationships online and in public! As I ponder these thoughts further, I must admit that most of the reading I do is based on a level of curiosity about the lives of my friends and what is going on at any given moment.

I also came across some other valuable information. I work with all types of teachers. New, veteran, older, younger, all races, and retire/re-hires! After reading one post from this blog, I had to agree! There aren't any teachers running in front of the others. The use of technology in the classroom tends to be more based on the personality of the teacher rather than age! I am encouraged by this a-ha!