The End

Since this is the final entry for my blog, I will reflect on what blogging has taught me this semester. Probably one of the most important things I've learned is what exactly blogging is and isn't. Growing up, I learned about blogs from friends who used it as an online journal. Now I know that technically, that was not blogging.
The professional blogs that I followed showed how it can be used by teachers. When used effectively, it can become a good resource for sharing ideas and collaborating with other teachers.
I'm not going to continue to keep my blog going. While it's great that some people are really into this and find it useful, I don't see myself as one of them. I have discovered some neat things through the blogs I followed, but especially at this point I don't really feel like I have that much to share.
My advice to new bloggers is to blog about things that interest you and have fun with it.

Philadelphia's SLA

I like learning about schools like the Science Leadership Academy in Philadelphia. Not just because they seem like cool schools to go to, but because they give me hope of what schools can evolve into. Some of the things that I have been hearing about lately make me a little worried that we are headed towards fully computer-based/online education, so it's relieving and exciting to read about schools like SLA. While I still found it a little strange that a history class discussion was taking place solely online, I can also understand how that makes it easier for everyone to participate. I think that there are a lot of good things about this school, one of which being a required class that talks about internet safety, that other schools should pick up on as we move into the future.

How I Use Technology

I use technology for a lot of things in my everyday life. I use it to communicate with people on my cell phone or my computer. I use my ipod to keep me entertained while I'm working out. Most of my homework requires me to use my computer. And then there are times when I just lay down and watch TV. As far as technology penalties go, I had a hard time trying to think of ones relevant to my life. Using a digital calendar or taking notes on a computer wouldn't be very beneficial to me, so I use a paper planner and take handwritten notes. And most of the time, it's easy for me to "turn off", take a break and be unconnected for a little while. The only thing that I have come up with that could be a penalty for me is when I text someone even though calling them would probably get me the same information faster. But I would still rather text, so I do it anyways.

First Grade Blog

I just looked at the blog made by a first-grade class in Hampden and thought it was pretty neat. You can tell that it is made by first graders because the postings are very simple and kind of random at times. I think my favorite part was their map of visitors. It's cool to see that people from literally all over the world have found their way to a blog made by a class of first graders in Maine. Because it's mostly about what they're doing in class, it seems like a good resource parents can use to stay connected to what's going on in the classroom.

Pics4Learning!

I just discovered a new website called pics4learning. It has hundreds of copyright-friendly pictures meant for teachers and students to use. And it provides access to ImageBlender to edit the photos. Also on the website are a variety of lesson plans for teachers to use with the pictures. There are plans for all 4 main subject areas and incorporate many different intelligences and learning styles. For instance, one lesson is called "visual and kinesthetic graphing", and another involves finding pictures to fit a piece of music. This is a good resource for teachers to use both on their own and with their students.

Storynory

While thinking about what to blog about next, I took a look at recent posts on the blogs I'm following. One of them posted a link to a website called Storynory. They describe themselves as "an online treasure trove of audio stories"- and they definitely live up to that, adding a story every week since November 2005. The website is filled with free audio versions of fairytales and other popular stories, as well as some originals. They're also available to download on iTunes as podcasts.
Another feature is that when reading on Storynory, you can double-click on any word and it will translate it into a number of different languages. While this is mainly meant to help non-english speakers learn english, english speakers can also take advantage and learn that "skole" means "school" in danish.
I was excited to find a resource that could easily be used in early childhood classrooms, where it can be hard to incorporate technology, and is both entertaining and educational.

Google Lit Trips

While reading through different educational blogs to find ones to follow, I discovered Google Lit Trips. It infuses literature with technology, and can be used for all grade levels, from kindergarten to higher education. Basically, if your class is reading a book where there is some type of travel, the lit trip will show you how to follow the journey on google earth. For younger children, this could be traveling through Boston while reading "Make Way for Ducklings"; and High Schoolers can follow Amir through Afghanistan in "The Kite Runner". On the program website are lists of available lit trips, broken up into grade levels. I think it seems like a great way to get students more interested and involved in the books they're reading- with a little geography, too! Some of the trips are even student created, so this could also turn into a fun class project.