Thing 4 - Content Area

In thinkfinity I found areas that would work well for my courses and building roles: The first page is a lesson about Kids and Social Networking. I found this video lesson (www.thinkfinity.org/social-networking) when I searched for Digital Citizenship lessons. The video will work well to introduce the topic of social networking when I discuss internet safety and digital citizenship in my Computer Essentials class. Also, I plan to also use Google Docs to give a survey about social networking prior to showing the video. The second page that I found very useful was the Browse by Standard search tool. In my position as a technology coordinator I often help teachers to find good resources and also encourage them to track the standards which are being taught. I think this tool is great for finding both resources and for finding good lessons to meet a particular standard. (www.thinkfinity.org/state-standards-search) I will be sure to pass on this tool to the teachers in my building.

Thing 2 - Google Docs (cont.)

One way I hope to use Google more in the future is in my personal life. I am slowly teaching some of my friends the great uses for shared documents. It has already worked well for eliminating long chains of emailed attachments and revisions. Also, I am currently working on a Google Site.

Also, just an fyi, I don't think the Blog address sheet is showing properly for this part of the assignment, so I was not able to share a Google Doc with someone in the class.

Thing 2 - Google Doc

Above is my posting of a new document in Google Docs. I use Google Docs very often in the classroom. Our school has given a Google account to every student and every staff member. I often assign group projects to students in which they must share their assignment with their group members and myself. It is great because I can follow their progress, I can see who is making the revisions, and I can access their work from any computer that is online. It has made it very easy for me to grade their work and keep on top of their progress. I also use Google Docs with our staff members. I have been training our different departments how to collaborate using the shared documents. Another teacher and I used it to co-write a grant proposal earlier in the year. It worked great and we are both receiving new Ipads out of it. I love Google Docs.

Thing 1 - Shortcut Keys

I have used shortcut keys for years for things like cutting, pasting, copying, etc. However, I have learned some new uses in this lesson. I have never used the F7 key for running spell check before. This is a nice handy way to run this tool. Also, I have never used the b or w key in powerpoint to blank the screen. I think this could be useful in many situations when presenting. Additionally, though I knew that you could switch between programs when in powerpoint, this is something that I have never used. I can definitely see how this would be helpful when presenting to an audience. Above are some samples of other things I tested:

Thing 1 - Delicious

Here is a link to my Delicious account: http://www.delicious.com/kutzlit Delicious is a great way to save important websites and even find new ones. I like how this site allows you to use different categories of tags for organization. I think it can make me more productive by giving me the ability to have all my important links in one place instead of on multiple computers. Also, it gives me the ability to easily share links with other staff members. My fear is that Delicious will go away. I have heard they were bought out.

21 Things - Thing 0 (Blogs)

What makes a good blog?

From what I have seen, good blogs have a few common characteristics. Good blogs have a purpose and a voice which shares someone's perspective about a particular topic. Good blogs should be interesting and captivating to their audience of people with similar or shared interests. Good blogs should also be easy to read. Ultimately, blogs should be easy to navigate and understand. Also, they should be formated in an easy to read paragraph structure.

How could blogs enhance your existing web presence?

Blogs can enhance your web presence by opening up new channels of communication. A blog can help students, teachers, and even strangers to better understand yourself as a person. They open a window into the thoughts and ideas of the blogger. Additionally, creating a blog can expand the educational and professional influence of an indivudual.. By sharng information about topics of interest, a person is adding to the potentially valuable content of the Internet. Also, good blogs become an area for others to react and discuss the topics on the blog, thus adding to the professional or topical discussion.

Are blogs an easier way for people to self-publish?

Blogs are a very easy way for any individual to self-publish. In a matter of minutes a person can setup a blogging account and in a short amount of time any person can begin posting to their blog. This can be a very simple way to share ideas. Other means of self-publishing can be much more labor intensive, costly, or time consuming.

21 Things - Getting Started

In this course I hope to learn some new tips, tricks, or tools for education. I am both a teacher and a technology trainer for teachers in our building, so I am always looking for new things to teach myself and others.