Thing 11: The Sandbox

Well because this one seemed easy I put it off.  Today I am going back to check to see if I have done everything and realize that I missed this one and I can't modify the page.  So...I going to add it here...

My Favorites
Food	Singers	Movies	Usual Music
Chinese	Anita Baker	The Sound of Music	Kathy Matteo
Italian	Bebe and Cece Winans	Pretty Woman	Garth Brooks
Indian	Brian Mcknight	Princess Bride	Randy Travis

One of my favorite songs…it’s very poignant

 

Thing 23: Congratulations (Sigh!)

1.      What were your favorite discoveries or exercises on this learning journey?

 

I think my favorite thing is the mosiac maker which will help me make my annual Christmas cards.

 

2.      How has this program assisted or affected your lifelong learning goals?

 

I thing the tools I have discovered help make me a more effective classroom teacher  with diversity tools at my disposal and build a solid foundation as a librarian.

 

3.      Were there any take-a-ways or unexpected outcomes from this program that surprised you?

 

First, I never really understood what was meant by the term 2.0 tools.  I also didn't realize how many different free tools are available to enhance the way we teach and products that students submit.  Most surprising was the joys of Twitter (although I still won't keep it up).

 

4.      What could we do differently to improve upon this program’s format or concept?

 

I would consolidate things 4, 8 and 9 which are all related to RSS feeds and blogs or maybe just combine 8 and 9 because they go hand in hand.

 

5.      If we offered another discovery program like this in the future, would you choose to participate?

 

Yes, but only in the summer time when I have more time to really explore.

 

6.      How would you describe your learning experience in ONE WORD or in ONE SENTENCE, so we could use your words to promote 23 Things learning activities?

      Enhancing

Thing 22: Your Turn

This is easy. PINTEREST! I know that most people are aware of the joys of Pinterest but it bears mentioning again.  Form lesson planning to finding recipes Pinterest is the place to go.  It also allows you the means for or organizing the gems you find and sharing them with everyone.  But beware it is like a black hole.  If you're not careful, you'll never leave your seat in front of the computer screen.

Thing 21: Online Image Generator

I know this task was suppose to be fun but I was working on my laptop which decided it need to update 38 things when I embarked on this journey. Once it was done I tried to make a logo use Happy Face Generator and it was a lesson in frustration.  It would allow me to get as far as choosing a font and background when I input my logo all that would happen was that a new web page would open.  I finally abandon the task and moved to Dumpr and made an image sketch, then ImageChef and Comic Strip Generator.

Thing 20: Recess

As with my kids when recess is mentioned I breathed a sigh of relief.  No rules, the freedom to visit whatever I want with no constraints, no real structure , finally this is more like life but the time is set aside to do it. I used this time to visit things in the Livebinder with titles that caught my attention.  I visited WordStash which was cool the flashcards are digital and I didn't see a way to print them. I also visited Storybird which I will use for my final project, ComicMaster, Spiderscribe and Schmoop.
I had so much fun here.

http://wordstash.com/
http://storybird.com/

http://www.comicmaster.org.uk/

http://www.spiderscribe.net/
http://www.shmoop.com/

Thing 19: Mashups

I really liked like two mashups Mosaic Maker and Mapr.  I made a mosaic and while the process was slow and tedious (especially waiting for the pictures to upload!) the end result was fantastic.  I think this would be a great way to display the year's activities and or showcase authors and their books.  Although I didn't create a Mapr, I think it may be a great way to create a scavenger hunt.  Personally, these maps would great for me because that's how I direct people somewhere i.e.., turn left at the shell, right at the red house... Lots to explore... See my mosaic below:

Thing 18: Shelfari and Goodreads

It is fun to create these accounts but once again this is another tool that on my own I will not keep up. This has file as part of my job requirements all over it.  I obsess about making it perfect I will rarely will revisit the site. See the Widget on my home page.

Thing 17: Ning

I tried to visit all the Nings listed to see which drew my attention.  Educator Ning and Texas School Librarian Ning seem defunct. Future of Education Ning was linked to a lot of good resources but it requires the investment of time to visit and read.  Ning for Teachers is another Teacher Pay Teachers type site that is less busy and has less resources. I did download a couple of free resources the Word family centers and games, I have, Who has subtraction...  I think my favorite was the Teacher Librarian Ning.  It had resources that address some current needs. I particularly liked the Elementary Library Routines corner.
Ning is a great way to showcase upcoming events in your library, district and State events.  Once you gain a solid network core group it could be a one stop shop for all library related events and conferences.

Thing 16: Video Sharing

Youtube is one of my favorite teaching tools.  I use it for both math and language arts.  Because of the ease to access Youtube in my district, I haven't really explored Teachertube. On my first try, I found a new ABC rap that I will be using in my classroom.   It was fantastic!
Below as assigned is a video about web 2.0 tools on Youtube and a new favorite video (ABC rap) on Teachertube:

   

After trying to embed them both I found it easier to embed the Youtube video than the Teachertube one.

Thing 15: Podcasts and Vidcasts

 

 

This was easy to use.  The most trouble I had was finding the right music.

Thing 14: More Online Applications and Tools

Although, I have created several Prezis, I have never imported a Powerpoint into a Prezi. Well, I made it harder by "thinking" so this took longer than it should have.  I tried to create by using a template, then with a really long presentation.  Not smart but I finally got it done. 
 http://prezi.com/4klpze0zaggf/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy

Thing 13: Explore Google Docs

I have used Google Docs as part of a class group response to an instructor and to work on a couple of projects however I never took the time to explore all the functionalities of G Docs.  I learned, through searching you tube because the link for teachers was removed due to copyrights, why I was frustrated when trying to use it.  I realize that this tool is more user friendly than I originally thought and that you can share/collaborate on documents with ease.

Thing 12: Microblogging

I have avoided the Twitter realm for as long as I could.  It took this assignment to shove me over the edge.  While I have little to say to others about my personal activities, the naturally nosy part of me has longed to see what all the hoopla is about.  I know that on a personal level I will not Tweet about my activities but I can see the benefits of using it to promote events in my library.  So, if I see it as apart of my job requirements I'll do it.  For personal use, I'll just be a Looky Lou peeping in other peoples posts. One of my favorite tweets said "The library is open. The librarian is grumpy. Come and get some books and stuff or whatever"
Oh yeah, while I was playing in the medium I also joined Tumblr so I could follow Jon Klassen.  Man I'm joining the modern world (lol).  The only site listed on the page that I had trouble opening was Jaiku.
This was fun....

Thing 10: School Wikis

I have used a Wiki previously for a college group project and as a landing spot for a websites and resources found for a mutual project.  This assignment allowed me to see some other possible uses for a Wiki.  Exploring how others have used Wikis in their classroom has inspired me to use a Wiki next year to create my friends and family board. I found that "The 2nd Grade Classroom" made Wiki seem more accessible to kindergarten.  I could also use it as a kind of family reading log...(hmmm still thinking)

Thing 9: Useful Library Blogs

This "thing" seemed redundant because we have already visited this topic twice.  It could have been added to "thing" 8. I was only able to find useful blogs using the EduBlog award link. I also found a couple of links via Google.  Like the one below: http://theunquietlibrarian.wordpress.com/author/theunquietlibrary/
It took too long to search for what I needed.  Although, I like Technorati, none of the results were blogs.

Thing 8: RSS Feed

Neither Syndic8 nor School Library Blog on Suprglu worked and probably due to use error I had a little trouble with Topix (finding the RSS feed on some sites). I really liked Technorati, Edublog awards and Google Blog search. I actually found some sites that will be useful to me.  This is a great way to find new ideas with less effort.

Thing 7: Blog Searching

I enjoyed exploring Technorati and added 2 things to my Delicious site Mashable about web 2.0 tools and a trash site called Gawker.  The popular tag search yielded results in alphabetical order rather than in most searched.  When I searched by tags I got a lot of useless information. When I searched by blog directory I got more useful results. 
I found that tags are helpful in finding global information on a topic but you have to be careful because I then have to check to ensure the result applies to the topic.

Thing 6: Tagging

De.li.cious is a site I explored previously for another class and had forgotten about,  It had been so long that I had been purged from the system.  I found a found a few cool digital storytelling websites while exploring Steven Anderson's page.  This site is one that would be great for the classroom. For example if groups were working on a research project this would be a great place to store and access useful sites,  For personal use, this is a great place to store places I have visited on the web like products I would like to purchase.

Thing 5: Social Networking

I must admit that although I have a have had a Facebook account for  a couple of years, I rarely access the account.  It is mostly a tool to help me remember my friends birthdays.  I usually find out what is new on Facebook from my sister who keeps up with family and finds long lost friends. This assignment gave me an excuse to peruse Facebook more.
Facebook is a great tool for libraries to use because most teenagers live on Facebook and therefore this is a great platform to post book talks about new releases or old favorites.  One can also post up coming events in the library as well as connect with authors via their pages.

Thing 4: RSS and News Feeds

It took me 3 tries to finally sign up for a reader since Google reader is now defunct.  I finally signed up with FeedDemon.  This tool is a great way to keep up with those blogs that I rarely have time to check.  It is also a great way to keep up with the news which I am usually woefully out of touch with,

Thing 3: Yogile

This was the easiest assignment yet.  It took seconds to create the account and upload the pictures.  Others can now just paste or click on this link and then click the add phones buttons.  EASY!
http://www.yogile.com/tfzdgkxs#41m

Thing 2: Flickr

kerry_annnicholette's photostream on Flickr.

I uploaded 2 pictures and added access to my blog. Here's hoping post does what I think it will.

Thing 1: Blogging

My name is Kerry-Ann Thompson. This is my fourth year teaching at Kruse and my third year teaching kindergarten. I taught first grade prior to teaching kindergarten.  This is my third semester in the Library Science masters program.  Taking part in the 23 things will hopefully make me a valuable technology asset to my future library and colleagues.