Thing 20

I went to Youtube and looked through some of the videos they had. I really like the idea of Youtube. Anyone can post a video. There are a lot of educational videos. In some cases channels will post a video. Or maybe someone is posting them. Either way, I am able to see what was on the history channel about a variety of different topics. This was the video that I chose to embed. I hope I am doing this right. It's called education today and tomorrow. I thought this was interesting. Something else I thought was interesting is the youtube videos that explain youtube and how it came about and how it connects individuals. It talks about how it allows for communities to evolve. I thought this was important especially for educators and those who are in the process of becoming a teacher. They can join the teacher community through sites such as Youtube.

Thing 17

Bookmarking and tagging is something that everyone can use. It gets rid of the monotony of just looking through the sites. I really like exploring the web and finding new sites, but I always forget where I found them, what they are called, or sometimes how to spell the URL address correctly. Bookmarking will definitely take care of this issue as I can tag all of my favorite sites. This will definitely benefit me as I become a teacher. I can gather information that will help me learn about different things that are important to know about teaching. I can help others at the same time too. I can find really great sites and tag them and then others will be able to use them. I think that I will use this quite a bit as a teacher. I think if there is a site like the one mentioned about homework help, I could print off that information and use it as a handout for class or to strengthen a certain activity or lesson plan. It will be a lot of fun searching through everyone's tags and finding things that will help me and my classroom grow. At first I thought it would be challenging, but after watching the different tutorial videos and reading about it, I found that part of it's appeal is the simplicity and convenience behind it. It eliminates the fluff of the web and provides a quick and easy way to access information from anywhere at any time. Tagging and Bookmarking show that it is possible to have your cake and eat it too. :)

Thing 18

I chose to do the facebook page. I have had this page for a little over two weeks now. I notice a lot of people will use facebook to let others know what they are doing. It is a way to let others keep up on your own personal status. I haven't participated in it too much. If people use it for educational purposes, I think it is a great site for teachers. Usually people check their facebook quite a bit. It is a sure way to get a quick response and information or help if that is what is needed. Social networking is really important for all educators. It allows them to expand on their ideas, values, etc. based on school. In turn, it allows others to do gather information and ideas. Teachers and parents can converse using facebook or twitter. Twitter seems to be more sophisticated. Facebook seems to be something that all ages equally enjoy. Facebook has more options for the page. It is a lot of fun to add pictures and information to the profile section. The fact that Facebook allows pictures on the profile section, may make parents feel more involved. Though there should not be pictures of the classroom on the page, other aspects of the classroom could be added. Different projects or all of the students art work could be added to the page. Parents may appreciate this. Also, the facebook page shows friends when you're online. Parents could send messages if they have a question about their child. Facebook could be used for older students and classroom I'm sure. However, for my age group, I may just put art or projects on the wall. An upper level class may make a site and participate in social networking that way with an initial goal of learning and sharing their own knowledge. They could have like news pages and get creative that way. That would be a fun and interesting way to get the students to participate in reading and writing, depending on what age group it is. I think Facebook and Twitter are great sites for older students, teachers, and parents. http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home

Thing 16

I was really excited to do thing 16. I am always looking for ways to become more organized. I chose to use pageflakes. It is extremely informative. I really liked the online calendar. I have been trying to find an online calendar for the longest time so that was the first thing I went to. I really like how it has an annual reminder programmed into the calender beforehand. It seemed really helpful. I think the reminders will probably be one of the more helpful aspects. I also like the access availability. There are computers everywhere, especially on campus. If I forgot my planner one day, I would be able to keep up with what's going on through my online calendar. To-do lists are always helpful. It's just another way to make sure goals or projects are getting done on time. This ensures that each person is more productive or at least it helps with productivity. I will probably use the calendar at home and at school. This was the easist for me and the most useful.

Thing 15

The Book Lovers Wiki showed a lot of book reviews. This may be used in libraries. If a teacher or a student would like to find out more information about a book he/she is interested in, this wiki page would definitely help. People on this site can blog and inform others. Right now I am working on the sandbox thing. It is taking a little while to load, but other than that, I like it. I think this would be a great way to see what others have to say as well as write down my own thoughts and opinions. Overall, it is just a great way to trade information. I chose to put a picture from flickr on there. I wrote why I chose to use flickr. That has been the thing I have used the most out of everything else. It is really fun to use too. :) I also posted thing 3 in the comment box.