Concluding 17 things

Searching iTunes is very familiar to me because I am constantly downloading music. I had not spent much time listening to podcasts, but I was surprised to see the different topics found when looking for one to subscribe. I recently purchased an iPad and found a podcast called ipadtoday. It gave me many great apps to add on my iPad. I also liked a podcast for kids called, KID FRIDAY. It simply addressed tech tips and apps kids would enjoy. Two kids actually gave most of the information, and I shared their tips with my own children.

It was fun to explore the world of web 2.0 tools. I found the website cooltoolsforschool to be extremely helpful. I plan to spend more time searching for new tools throughout the school year. One I found to use immediately in my classroom was dogo. It provides kid friendly global news. I am constantly searching for a way to incorporate current events in a way children can comprehend. I also like kideos because it includes videos that have been screened and approved for children.

Overall this online class was a great way to improve my awareness of web 2.0 tools. I can't wait to incorporate many of these tools in my classroom.

SlideShare

At first SlideShare was a little overwhelming to search. I finally decided to key in on our environmental studies and searched for recycling presentations or videos. The one below includes valuable information to share with my students. Some slides would need additional explanation, but overall it was informative. I hope to explore SlideShare and find more ways to use it. Eventually I might even add my own presentations, documents, or videos. What is Recycling: 7 Benefits of Recycling

View more presentations from Pacebutler

Screenr

Screen Capturing was very new to me. I think it's easy to use, but I'm still thinking of ways to use it in my classroom. We currently use Photostory to add voice to images, but Screenr is might be an alternative to try. Often my students research Science and Social Studies topics, and I am searching for fun ways to share the information. I'm going to explore this a little more and see what else I can do.
My screencast is very random. Sorry, but it was getting late, and my mind was blank! I think I am in summer mode!


My first Screenr

Voicethread

Voicethread is such an interactive tool! It was neat you could add a comment by phone, webcam, microphone, text, and file upload. I noticed how many teachers used it to incorporate art into the curriculum. I thought it would be fun to use with text or illustrations from books. Students could respond to the themes, reading strategies, book reviews, and so much more. I heard a comment on one voicethread that mentioned how it could help those students who are uncomfortable sharing in a group discussion.
I tried to use Wallwisher this school year, but it did not work well for my classroom. Has anyone else tried Wallwisher?

Wikis

I have been wanting to set up a classroom wiki for a long time so I am signed up and ready to go. So many times I send group emails to my classroom families, and it is hard to manage everyone responding to the whole group. Classroom parties would be so easy to organize with a wiki. I do worry about the families without internet access, but hopefully we could figure something out for them. A wiki is such a collaborative tool to use. I liked several of the ideas I saw online such as online study guides, connecting to current events, and class debates. I plan to use a classroom wiki right away this school year.

Creative Commons

Copyright is something I always wonder about when creating multimedia presentations. With the many choices available on the web, it can be overwhelming. Creative Commons is a site I had not explored. I was amazed at how easy it was to find images, songs, quotes, etc. This method of collaboration will enhance many of the activities I do in the classroom. It will definitely provide tracks to use in PowerPoint, PhotoStory, Animoto, and many others. From our environmental unit to our study of the USA regions, I know Creative Commons will be a great resource for my students.

Awesome Animoto

Finally, I found one of the 17 things that I used throughout the school year. Using the pictures I had taken of my students, I created a video each quarter to share with my classroom families. The kids loved it! They were so excited to see their smiling faces in a video format. Adding pictures was simple, but choosing background music was very limited. Now that I know about Creative Commons I would love to import some of those tracks. I was unable to access ITunes at school and did not have many songs downloaded. Most of the songs available on Animoto were not from artists I recognized. When I previewed the tracks, the lyrics were not always appropriate for my students. When you have the free educator account to Animoto, the songs and backgrounds are not quite as plentiful.
I posted the Animoto videos on my classroom webpage and sent a link to the parents via email. There were many viewings of the videos and postive comments. I can't wait to use Animoto with my next class!

4DA 2010 Fall

Gadgets!

Gadgets are cool! I loved exploring the various gadgets, but choosing three to fit my blog was difficult. I ended up adding Flickr photostream, Bestselling Children's Books, and Slideshow. They are all unique and easy to use.

Sharing Pics

I've always wanted to learn about using Flickr so I was excited about this task. I have a slight organizational problem with my photographs so I hope storing them online might help. My Flickr name is CDay2011, and I uploaded a set of pics from a February Chicago Bulls game. Flickr was pretty easy to navigate. I did not have any problems with loading my first set of pictures. I think the idea of sharing photos through flickr would be great for the classroom. I used Animoto several times this year, but I would also like to try Flickr. From guest speakers to special events, it would be fun to share these experiences with my class online.

I'm Managing

Setting up a Google Reader account was easy, and its format is user friendly. I noticed in blogger.com I can click to view in Google Reader. I found some great literacy sites on Google's Blog Search. They included Laura's Voice, Literacy Beat, and Teaching Authors. In addition, I subscribed to the classroom blogs I was currently following.
As for the classroom, the ideas and resources I gain from my favorite sites will be easier to implement. I see this as a work in progress as I continue to explore related sites and add more content. Hopefully I can find time to manage all of this new information each day.

Nothing to tweet about...

I am excited to finally be tweeting, but I don't have much to tweet about. On Twitter, I am CDay2727. Somehow I had someone following me as soon as I signed up. I wish I had valuable information or insight to tweet. Maybe I will get the hang of it as I continue to follow others.
Vicki Davis, creator of the Cool Cat Teacher Daily Tweetpaper, is informative. I am trying to catch on to #Edchat, but I couldn't figure it out quickly enough to join today's chat. Steven W. Anderson offers some web20classroom thoughts, I think. It is fun to follow other professionals who are sharing insight throughout the day. I had some trouble finding my classmates, but I am a Joan Parks follower. For fun, I am following Pearl Jam and Tedtalks.
With experience, I will surely become better acquainted with Twitter. I'm still working on ideas to implement this Micro-Blogging in the classroom. As for sports, I can't wait to follow my favorite teams. GO Cards!

Absolutely Delicious

Delicious is cool! I lost so many bookmarks or favorites from computer to computer. Delicious will be valuable to my classroom and much easier to update. The idea of establishing a network will help tremendously when my grade level is split between three buildings. From computer lab to daily instruction, delicious will be easy to access. I hope to store interactive games, videos, lesson plans, and much more. My username is CDayClassroom.

Blog Followings

I am enjoying reading the blogs of my classmates. This class is a great way to "meet" new colleagues. I clicked to follow Shea, Joan, and Marc. They share a connection in spending time around my boys and me.
Eli (14) and Max (11)
                                                            

                                

Video Sharing Sites

I was familiar with YouTube and TED so I checked out the other two sites. All sites were extremely user friendly and similar in search modes. I chose the topic of the environment because I am searching for content presented at a level fourth graders can comprehend. It is also important the information is current and accurate since environmental issues change so quickly. The global warming video is actually a National Geographic clip on YouTube. It is appropriate for my students, and I hope to find additional videos on a variety of other environmental issues.

Global Warming 101

Here's a National Geographic video to give children a basic understanding of global warming.

Welcome to my blog!

Hi! I am Crystal Day, a fourth grade teacher at Glenwood Elementary School. I have been teaching in this district for 17 years. My family resides in Chatham. My husband, Ken, and I have two sons. Eli is a freshman at GHS, and Max is a 6th grader at GIS.

Most of my free time is spent on the golf course with Eli or basketball court with Max. No, I don't play either sport, but I need to learn to golf. When I am not attending my children's sporting events, I am usually spending time with family and friends. I enjoy music, technology, and travel.