Thing #23 - The End

1. My favorite exercise on this Library2Play was learning about the wonders of Goggle. I had no idea it offered all of the options that it did!

2. This program has made a difference in my lifelong learning experience. I realize how Blogs have become an important part of today's life. It is just going to take additional time to enjoy using them.

3. I enjoy creating neat neat stuff using the online generators.

4. For me, it would be easier if the steps were bulleted or numbered so they could be followed more easily. It has been very frustrating trying to put a podcast online and I still don't understand! I am having problems going back and trying to figure out what I need to do next.

5. Yes, I would choose to participate in future programs like this.

6. Reading instructions CAREFULLY will help you be successful! (We need to practice what we preach when we tell our students to read the directions!)

7. I have enjoyed looking and commenting on other Blogs.

Thing # 22 Nings

I think Nings could be a good site to use for two of my classes. I went to the Nings for Teachers and it took me a while to key in words into the search engine to find information. For the Financial Management class that I am teaching, I wanted to find out on ways to teach compounding interest. It took about 20 minutes, but I did find an awesome website to use called MoneyInstructor.com. It does have information that the students can use.

In regards to BCIS, it would be neat if all of the teachers using the AES Curriculum to create a Ning and use this as a method to communicate different ideas for the Microsoft Office 2007 Package.

Thing #21 - Podcasts

Information Overload! I am most impressed with all of the information age gurus out there really enjoy learning. These unique people have the time, talent, patience and determination to create a podcasts. I kept putting this thing off and realized I was running out of time. Unfortunately, I do not fall in the category of liking to create podcasts, but here is my feeble attempt.

Thing # 20 - Explore YouTube and Teacher Tube

It is wonderful that as a teacher we have access to so many videos! It is even more exciting that we have a site called Teachertube.com that will actually show up in our classrooms in SBISD. This video is one that we saw in a teacher inservice that has a lot of interesting information.

Thing # 19 - Web 2.0 Awards List

• This Awards Lists will give me the chance to narrow down the sites that would possibly have the information that I am looking for.


• This feature will work well in libraries since it is a perfect way to search for topics and information. The only problem is trying to find which which category you need to look in when searching for information.


• The Web 2.0 Awards List will be used in my classes when the students are looking current events about various topics. They will be able to do the seaching and have more ownership on the subjects instead of me telling them what they have to do!

Thing # 18 - Online Productivity Tools

I was very excited about learning about OpenOffice.org and Google Doc. I love the MicroSoft Office 2003 Professional and feel like the OpenOffice.org will be a fantastic feature. How will I ever find out when I can't even download the blasted program. I tried several times and keep getting the following message:

The Installation Wizard cannot be run properly because you are logged in as a user with out sufficient administrator right for this system.

I went through the tutorial on Google Docs and feel this will work well. Unfortunately, I feel like a traitor liking Google and giving up on OpenOffice.org

I can see where these online productivity tools will be a huge benefit to use. Everybody will be on the same page and not having to worry about software issues on not being compatible

Thing #17 Rollyo

Select...Braising RecipesRecipesPersonal FinanceBusiness NewsSearch The Web

Rollyo is a great feature to use. I realized the more specific I could be on what I wanted to find, the better luck I had with my searches.

Thing # 16 - Learn About Wikis

This WIKI business is fascinating! I understand the concept, made a comment on the SBISD library WIKI site and know that I will have my students use this in school next year.

This will be an excellent tool for students competing in Business Professionals of America on team projects. Since it is so hard for them to meet after school due to crazy schedules, they can work on WIKI to get their basic ideas formulated, a rough draft completed and work on a final product. I can't wait to see how it works out!

Also, I think that a SBISD WIKI on technology should be created. How many times have you had a question regarding your computer, printer or projection device and needed to know how to solve a problem asap and no one pesonally answers the GEEK phone? If there was a SBISD Technolgy WIKI site, we could ask someone if they hadthe same problem and did they have a solution. Just a thought . . . .

Please note, I think our GEEK squad is AWESOME, just understaffed and overworked

Thing #15 - Web 2.0, etc

These articles were very interesting to me regarding the future of libraries and I am going to make my husband read them as well. SBISD is in such an exciting time with having the opportunity to take advantage of deisgning libraries at 12 of the elementary schools that are being built.

The video addresses college students, however the issues are important for kids of all ages including elementary kids. Hopefully the concerns outlined in the articles will be addressed and will help in designing the new libraries. Recently TEA published recommendations on the amount of books that should be in the library for elementary, middle and high school levels. TEA also gave recommendtions on the amount of computers needed. I feel SBISD should increase the total number of computers in the libraries and make sure they have an area where there is enough seating for students, teachers and parents to view presentations.

Thing # 14 -- Explore Technorati

• I explore Technorati and tried to set up an account and was not successful. Will try later. I did search for the key phrase in several areas and did come up with different results!
• The tags are beneficial and now understand the importance of them.
• Technorati could assist me in helping to find out current and up-to-date articles for various Financial Manaagement topics.

Thing # 13 - Learning About Tagging

I sort of understand tagging now and having the words available to select. Del.icio.us is a great site to use.

• I need examples of some professional eye catching PowerPoints for my students to view in the Academy of Finance. The incoming seniors will be creating a slideshow presentation about their summer internship. I am going to show them some creative examples so they will have ideas that will spice up their shows.

Thing # 12 - Creating Community Through Commenting

This Thing was very interesting to read and gave me a better idea of what this is all about. The most important point I learned from reading the blogs is if you are going to respond, make it meaningful! If you are going to take the time to blog, say something besides Wow! I also feel OK about using Schapershoutout as my blog name. At first I was a bit worried about using my last name, but at this time I think it will be OK!

OMG - It took me FOREVER to find two blogs to comment on. At first I had to subscibe to them and then comment. Since I learned from this thing not to comment with silly responses, I had to really read the blogs and come up with a intelligent responses.

It was really easy to respond to five blogs on the list. I always am trying to figure out who is the creator of each blog!

Thing # 11 - LibraryThing

This LibraryThing was very interesting and I enjoyed this very much. I love to find an author who writes about a particluar character and then read all of the books on that character. I will need to figure out how to do this on advance searches.

This would be very useful for students to keep a list in general of the books they have read. I look forward becoming involved in one the of the groups.

Here is a small sample of some of the books I have enjoyed reading:

Thing # 10 - Online Generator

This trading card was created on this website: http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/deck.php

ImageChef.com Flower Text

This is our Family Code!

This was a lot of fun to work on and I know that my students will like to use the trading cards when researching the history of the stock market.

Thing # 9 - Useful Library-Related Blogs

• I liked using the RSS since I used it in the last activity. Easy to follow along.
• I thought it was easy to use Bloglines and subscribed to this one. I selected several types of topics of personal interest to me and also to students in my class.
• I tried to use the Technorati website and found it frustrating. Sorry!
• I look forward to viewing new recipes from the one of the feeds that I selected
  

Thing # 8 - RSS

Rich College Student: Emergency Fund 101
Posted using ShareThis

• Once I figured out how to make websites public and how to share them, I really feel that Google Reader will be very useful. After I learned the concept, setting up was very easy!
• The RSS was very interesting and it will be a great use for my Financial Management class. I just hope that SBISD firewall will not block some of the websites. The students can keep up to date on specific stock prices that they are tracking.
• I think this will be an excellent use for the library. The students will be able to keep updated on current issues for several classes and also an excellent way to do research online. This could be a way for teachers using the computers in the library to control the websites that are to be used.

Thing # 7 - Google

Thing # 7 - Google This is probably the most important Thing that I will complete. I honestly had NO ideal all of the features that Google offers! In the past, I have not had the best experience with Google and SBISD. The Plato lab is used on the comptuers in my room and if there is a Google bar up, the Plato software will not work! Of course, SBISD also blocks just about every other website that both the studetns and I try to use and that is very frustrating as well.

I took the time and viewed several of the Google Tools offered and will use several of them in my day-to-day classroom activites. Here are some samples:

• Google Alert: This will be an excellent tool for students tool look up current event articles that go along with the units I teach for Financial Mangement. If we are doing a unit on credit cards for exapmle, they can have Google let them know of any current articles regarding the credit card.
• Google Calendar: This can be used for all of my classes so the students will know what assignments they need to complete. Also in BECP and AOF the students will be able to have a calendar available to them see when things are due.
• IGoogle: I enjoyed creating my own homepage and the girls and I loved watching You Tube, but I will not use this in my classroom since it is important that all the computers have the same homepage of SBISD!
• Google Notebook: This was incredible! I searched the term credit cards and was able to bring up several important videos, articles and websites that will help my Financial Management classs. I will use this feature a lot at school
• Google Advanced Search: I used this to find for the credit card search to copy and paste into the Google notebook. None of the websites were blocked at home, so it was so easy to use. Once I try to use it at school, I know that it will not be the same and some frustration will be obvious.
• Atomic Learning: My students already use this if they get stuck on trying to figure out an exercise for the MicroSoft Office 2003 application. Sometimes they do not want to take the time to use Atomic Learning.

Thing # 6

Make a Smilebox postcard

I really enjoyed with Smilebox.com website. The website could be used in a lot of the courses that I teach. The students could use this in creating a presentation about financial management in Personal Finance

Thing #5 - Flickr

It would be so much easier just to right click and save picture as and then insert the picture. I now understand the importance of copyright laws and appreciate what Flickr offers me. Incredible pictures and they do need to be recognized.

Thing # 3

OK,

Now I know how all of my BCIS students feel when I tell them to "read the directions" and "follow what it tells you to do." Oh My Gosh, I guess it was fun doing the Avatar thing. Too many choices, but where is the choice for gray hair? By the end of all of this I will need to change my hair color to white!

I know that my kids and their friends had these Avatar things on their IM and Facebook accounts and now I know where they spend half of the time when on the computer!

Once I started selecting items, it became easier to work on the Avatar. Since I finally read the directions very, very carefully, I was able to move my Avatar when I wanted it to appear.

Thing #2

Today I went through Module 2 and viewed the PowerPoint on 7 1/2 habits. I did fill out my contract and my goal was to complete this module this summer. I plan on finishing this by August 1, 2008. I hope this is not unrealistic!

In regards the to 7.5 habits, I would have to say the hardest habit for me would be the last one -- #7.5 Play. The reason for this is that I will not allow myselt to relax and enjoy life until EVERYTHING is done . . the closets to be cleaned out, the scrapbook to be finished, the files to be organized any my dad's estate is taken care of. Hopefully I will give myself permission to "play" and enjoy my summer with all of the pressing matters!

The easiest habit would be # 6 - Use technology to you advantage. I do enjoy working on the computer and not only know the quick way to do something. I also want to know the how and the why of doing something on the computer.

Date: June 15, 2008

Happy Father's Day!