ONE LAST THING- AAAWWWW Yeah!

Coming to the end of the Things is like swimming in a kiddy pool full of $247 worth of pudding. It's cool, refreshing, and squishy. Honestly, I did not think I would enjoy the 23 Things as much as I did. My favorite discovery on this journey was turning myself into a digital cartoon. My kids made a "Wii" version of me, but my Avatar in the "Here's me in digits" post is a true portrait. Creating the Animoto video with my photos and adding music was pretty exciting too.
The 23 Things program has given me useful knowledge of Web 2.0 tools that I can use to create fun interactive activities for my future students. My lifelong learning goals have been enhanced by the program by helping me organize and keep track of my goals. I learned many things that I had no idea existed just five short weeks ago.
The Education 3040 class is chalk full of "things", projects, group work, and presentations. My only concern was the amount of time that went into the homework. I always felt like I was rushed. Don't get me wrong, I learned a great deal- I just think the course load is too much for the 5 week Summer term. Dr. Wall once told me that students who attend the long Spring and Fall terms must complete the same program of study to earn their 3 college credit hours. It would not be fair for the 5 week students to do less to earn the 3 college credit hours. I believe that is a fair statement that examples Dr. Wall's fairness across the board. If I knew then, what I know now, I would have taken this course in the Spring or Fall to have more time to complete all the tasks and projects. My family, my garden, and my animals suffered this past 5 weeks because I simply had no time to do anything except this course.
I know that some of the things I've learn will go into daily practice when I become a teacher. Much of it will be shelved in the bookmarks of my virtual library until such time comes that requires their use. A few items will be put in my "info dumpster". Overall, this was a worth while project. I will continue to receive news and information in my Google Reader. I will continue to subscribe to Dan Bach's dansmath.com and I will continue to be a part of the Teacher Pop professional network. Thank you all for your comments.

Now - a PERSONAL One Last Thing from me to all readers - I once heard a radio interview by Penn Jillette (from the comedy duo Penn and Teller). He was on an airplane sitting next to a man who began to speak to him about the love of God. Penn, being an athiest, was a little annoyed. He listened patiently and politely. The plane landed and both men went on their way. Later, Penn reflected on the experience. Penn said, "How much would you have to hate someone NOT to tell them about the love of God?" Atheist or not, Penn was moved by the experience and realized the man's intentions were coming from the love of God. So I make it a point to tell you- I don't hate you- I want you to know God loves you and I love you. I'm not perfect by any means- but I know someone who loves all of us no matter what.

Thing 4 Revisited

I have tried very hard to keep up with all the people I've left comments for or conversed with online, but I may have missed a couple of folks (please forgive): Takesha, Melinda, Kevin, Mitchell, Amber, Lori, Lora, Jeffrey, David, and Dr. Wall (on TeacherPop). Dr. Griffy and Dr. Mensure on Facebook. I've commented with members of PBS Teachers and left feedback for Dan Bach at dansmath.com. I've written many Thing Posts in the hopes that someone would read them. My classmates did not let me down.
I think people in general just want to be heard. Many blogs had their beginnings due to someone just wanting to be heard. Commenting is a way of showing others, we hear them. I like getting comments because it lets me know, people hear me, people are reading about what is important to me, people may disagree with me- giving me a different perspective. Dialog can go a long way in connecting people. Amber Sager said that if you are going to be critical, do it in a constructive way. She also said that if you are going to leave a comment, make sure the comment adds to the string of discussion. I think she is on to something. I told her so in my comment to her.
The 3040 class members were brought together by a common assignment. But what connects us is our willingness to read each others' blogs and to support each other in the cyberworld as well as in the classroom.

Thing 22 More Podcast Fun

I went to PodcastDirectory.com to look for interesting podcasts to listen to. I typed in math into the search area and found about seven podcasts from the Math Tutor (a pay site- hey the guy has to make a living- and he's a really good math tutor). The next podcast listed in the directory was one of my favorite podcasters dansmathcast. There are approximately 33 podcasts for middle school and high school students all dealing with the subject of math. The producer, Dan Bach, is an amazing college math teacher and textbook author---- and Wow! can he build a podcast site. It's like it's own radio station.
Back to PodcastDirectory.com- The ease of use is worth mentioning. It can be useful in searching for interesting podcasts for classroom instruction. It narrows the search from Google, into an application specific search. I predict, I might use the podcasts found at dansmathcast for hoaning the skills of my students in the future. I already use this podcast site to help my ACT Math prep students to help them prepare for the ACT coming up in November 2009. I recommend PodcastDirectory.com and LearnOutLoud.com for finding educational podcasts. Educational podcasts can be used as Assistive Technology for students who are blind or hard of seeing to listen to lessons and use them when they study. LearnOutLoud.com also has what we used to call books-on-tape (it is a pay subscription site, but books-on-podcast might be worth it if you like to read, but have no time). I enjoyed searching through the podcasts.

Thing 17 Mmm DELICIOUS! Not really! - Chewy is more like it.

I signed up for Delicious (or Del.icio.us) and found the APSU 23 Things tags (or bookmarks). After reading through a couple of them, I got bored. I had already explored the APSU 23 Things Sandbox in a previous Thing assignment. Yes, I sat through the 8 minute tutorial, still the site did not interest me. Instead of looking at the tags of other APSU 23 Thingers, I decided to search for Math tags. The first tag to come up under the Math heading was one of my favorite resources, Wolfram MathWorld. Well, afterall Del.icio.us is a place where several people have tagged many things of interest. Why wouldn't the best Math website be the top tag? If you don't know, Wolfram Mathematica is, in my opinion, the BEST interactive interest site that exists for learning and/or teaching math at any level. Many other tags were under the Math Tag, like Math playground, and Euler Project (very cool- Euler came up with Trigonometry- ha ha ha- anyone want Euler to "sin" his autograph? He may even "cosin" your loan- okay enough going off on "tangents" - LOLOLOL). I crack myself up. Del.icio.us was not difficult to sign up for. It can be used to help students with homework at home or even help them find resources for group work or projects. I can see possible uses for this Learning 2.0 tool in the classroom. Mostly, I would use it to set up some bookmarks for students to use in homework help and research.

Thing 21 ANIMOTO VIDEOTO from the AQUARIUMOTO

NEEEAAATTT!! I created my Animoto video using my photos taken at the Ripley's Aquarium in Gatlinburg, TN on Columbus Day weekend 2008. I enjoyed making this Animoto short. I could use this application in my classroom as a project for my students. They can make Animoto videos of their Summer vacations, or to show the class photos of their Fall and Spring breaks (as long as they are appropriate). Perhaps it is not completely perfect for a math setting, but Animoto could be modified in the next couple of years (by the time I become a teacher) as it is still in the beta phase. I hope you enjoy this video voyage with the sharks.

Thing 20 "What's this, some sort of tube?" (Bob Dole on the Simpons)

Thing 16 EYEGoogle - MYGoogle - Zoho Cool!!

IGoogle is just perfect for me. I attached my Google Reader, GMail, and Google Calendar to my iGoogle page. I added a To Do List on my iGoogle page that helps me keep things (the APSU 23 things) and projects on track.The To Do list was a little difficult to set up, but now that it is set up, I can see my daily tasks at a glance as soon as I sign in to my home page. iGoogle is pretty useful in my opinion. I can predict that I will use it on a daily basis as a teacher so I can keep up with the latest news and important emails. It took about 45 seconds to set up the iGoogle page and attach my RSS feeder, calendar and email. The To Do list took about 20 minutes. But editing the To Do list takes no time at all, and will be used daily (or at least weekly).
I also enjoyed exploring Zoho Projects. It is a web-based manager for projects. It can be used to help students keep track of group projects and complete them faster. They can work on their own tasks and the completed tasks of their group members. Both iGoogle and Zoho Projects will be part of my future classroom. I would recommend Zoho Project manager and iGoogle to anyone trying to organize information that is important to them.

Thing 15 WIKIWIKIWIKIWIKI lots of wiki fun

Wikipedia.org is a site I've used in the past for researching history. For this assignment I explored Wikipedia.org for a more thorough look. After choosing Wikipedia in Enlgish, I clicked on the Mathematics tag on the top of the main page. The featured article was about Leonhard Euler, an 18th century mathematician who is known as the inventor of modern trigonometry. I followed tags to get info on calculating, trigonometry, calculus formulas, and "Did You Know..." Did you know... is a part of Wikipedia that gives you a quick (wiki means "quick") view or tidbit of knowledge. This is one of the "Did You Knows" found on the site: "Did you know that there are 6 unsolved mathematics problems whose solutions will earn you one million US dollars each?" All 6 of these unsolved math problems are also listed on Wikipedia.org. Under the Mathematics tag are links to thousands of tidbits, definitions, and formulas all organized under subjects including Analysis, Algebra, Geometry, Number Theory and more. Wikipedia.org will definately be a resource I will use in my future high school math class. I will ensure my students are aware of the site and how to use it to find information that will grow their understanding of the math content.

Thing 14 Mind Maps - Where's my mind? My mind was somewhere else.

THIS ASSIGNMENT IS NOT A WASTE OF TIME (OR MONEY)- READ ON!! Thing 14 task is to explore mind map and flowchart software. In my experiences (mostly military), I've used Microsoft Power Point to create flowcharts and data graphs. Anyone could use power point for the creation of flowcharts. Word has drawing tools that can be used to create mind maps and flowcharts also. I'm assuming that online flowchart/mindmap software is supposed to be easier and more user focused than the Microsoft tools. Otherwise, someone may not have gone through the trouble of developing this type of software. THEY AREN'T! DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY! (Take the time to learn how to use what you already have - google "power point help" and figure it out - don't be lazy, and money wasteful please.)

For this exploration assignment, I chose to explore Flowchart.com as the flowchart create tool over Gliffy Online Diagram Software because Flowchart.com is actually free (with the exception of Spam that will show up in my email inbox). Gliffy offers a free 30-day trial (they want your credit card number). I was sent an invitation to join the Flowchart.com site within a few minutes (they're in beta form currently). Next, I searched for different software located at Bubblus.com. There, I found SmartDraw which offered a free trial version download. SmartDraw allows you to make mind maps, flowcharts, visible personnel rosters, phone rosters (great for Parent Teacher Organizations). I read and agreed to the terms of the free trial (anything produced on the free trial software will print out with a watermark. Also, the free trial will cease to work after a one week period of time.) SmartDraw didn't ask me for my credit card information. That's always a plus. They only require payment if I choose to pay for and download the full licensed version of SmartDraw. After the trial version downloaded, I made a mind map out of a word play game. Then I printed out my mind map (after sending it to power point- I'm seeing a pattern here). As stated in the license terms, there was a watermark.
SmartDraw is a neat tool, but is highly unnecessary because power point does the exact same thing. Smart Draw isn't any easier than power point. I guess some people think they are too busy to work (or play around) with power point to figure it out. I think of it this way- (I mentioned before that I am a cheapscate)- I paid for my Microsoft Office suite 2007. Why would I pay AGAIN for a small program to create a mindmap or flowchart when Power Point does the same thing? I already own the technology! Busy or not, I'd rather spend time using the power point flowchart and mind map applications. That's just one of hundreds of reasons our economy is in disrepair. Some people will WASTE money on things they don't really need because they are too lazy to use what they already have. People and Businesses who own Microsoft Office Suite for PC or MAC - save your money, use what you already have.
How can these software options be used for education? If a school system does not have a Microsoft Office Suite for their networks, then these tools could be used to create mind maps and flowcharts for instructional purposes. I personally would not use them in my future classroom because (as I said before) I already have power point that creates the same tools.

This assignment was quite revealing. If I had not explored these flowchart and mind map softwares, I would not have come to the conclusion that they are frivolous. They promise ease of use, but do not really deliver. They require the user to export their creations to power point for printing. If I need power point to use SmartDraw, or FlowChart.com, then I'm paying twice for one application. If I ever become a school administrator, I would ensure that faculty and staff are fully educated on the most up to date technology. I would also ensure that new software purchases are based on actual need.

Thing 23 Creative Commons

Credits

Learning 2.0 - 23 Things for Teachers is based on Learning 2.0 - 23 Things, a staff development program for the Mesquite Independent School District. That program was based on the Learning 2.0 program that was designed by Helene Blowers and adapted by the California School Library Association and others. Content and style for Learning 2.0 - 23 Things for Teachers has been borrowed and duplicated with permission, under a Creative Commons License.

At the bottom of the 23 things the above statement is written. This is how APSU's 23 Things has attributed credit to the creator of the original 23 Things for Teachers.
As a future teacher, I will be sure to use Creative Commons to License any educational material I create, so others can benefit without fear of infringing on copyright laws. I benefit from the experiences of other teachers. When I become a teacher mentor, I would like to be able to pass on my intellectual property to new teachers for professional development.

Thing 13 Zoho is So SoHo Chic

For thing 13, I explored Zoho writer. I signed up for a free account and read through the instructions for creating a document (similar to Microsoft Word). The neat thing about Zoho writer is that I don't need to buy the Microsoft Office Suite to create a professional looking document. I have used Google docs in the past, but Zoho is easier to use for me. The test document I created was a family letter. The Zoho tabs look similar to Word, but slighty different. The help menu is better compared to Word. The Word help menu is part of the software, where as Zoho is more on point because it is updated with questions from other members. This makes the help menu more user focused. I would recommend using Zoho writer or Google Docs to people who do not have an updated version of Word (and don't want to spend money on something you can get for free) or people who do not have the Microsoft Office suite on their computers. Technology (internet based) that is free is the best way to learn new things and not have to deal with contant suite changes and updates.

Thing 19 Revisited

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