Thing 4

Sense of Community

Commenting helps create a sense of community by showing that you care or that you are interested in what the blogger is posting.  Commenting shows that you hear what the blogger is saying in their blog. You give the blogger a sense of their blog being of importance to you and it builds a relationship between the two sides.  It is impossible to build a community without communication.  Without anyone commenting on your blog ideas could not be shared or relationships to be formed.  Commenting creates a sense of family.  Everybody feels better when they have a strong sense of family.  Commenting makes everyone feel important.

Points about Commenting

One of the most important things I noticed was to be humble.  Being humble is one of the most important things that anybody can be in life.  I do not like it when people seem like they are better than everybody else or think that they know everything.  I would be more likely to post on someone's blog who is humble.  I had never thought about it until I read Nielsen's study.  I try to surround myself with humble people because they are more likely to pick you up when you are down, help you when your in need, and offer good advice.  It only makes sense to me that I would comment on blogs when the blogger is being humble.
The next point that I found important was respond to comments that were made on your blog.  I feel like this is important because people will stop responding to your posts if you do not acknowledge their comments.  Just like people want others to comment on their blog to have a sense of belonging and relationships, so do the people that are making comments.  They want to build a relationship with someone or they would not have commented.  Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

7 Posts

Ethan Bourke
Ethan had a really funny picture and caption of Zoolander.  It is one of my favorite movies of all time so commenting was an easy choice.  I also commented because he made a good point about having light-hearted powerpoint slides in class lectures to help keep students interested.

Matt Spinella
I commented on Matt's thing 1 because I liked how he talked about continually improving.  I feel like many people get comfortable in their position especially older teachers.  It is my goal to continually to improve and listen to feedback from my superiors.  I do not want to be labeled as one of those older teachers who does not care anymore because there is nothing anyone can do to them.

Jordan Tupper
I chose to comment on Jordan's thing 7 because he posted a picture about his hometown.  I also chose to post pictures of my hometown, so that I could get everyone a taste of my home.  I feel like it is important to show people where you came from so that they are able to understand and connect to you. I just think talking about hometowns is an easy way to build a relationship.

Kyle Christmas
I commented on Kyle's blog because he does a great job of creating a sense of community by his comments.  His comments are up lifting and build a bond with the person.  It is nice to have a very positive person in the class.

Stephen Morehouse
I liked how Stephen chose to make football be on his RSS feed.  I am also a big football fanatic.  I would have never known Stephen was a big football fan until I looked at his blog.  We are in the same class, but sit in different parts of the room.  It is nice to learn something about someone that probably would have went unknown if it wasn't for the blog.

College Football National Blog
The reason why I chose to comment on this blog was for two reasons.  I am a huge college football fan and they were talking about the Gator's backfield, which is my favorite team.  I like to see what other people's thoughts are about football.  I am always trying to learn as much as I can about football.  I posted my thoughts about the Gators backfield this football season.  I hope that someone will comment on my post.

Edward Aschoff
I also commented on his blog because he was talking about quarterbacks in the SEC.  I watch almost every SEC football game, so I felt like I could give good insight to his topic.  I was able to give reasons why I thought certain quarterbacks would be better or worse this football season.  I could talk football all day if you couldn't tell.

Thing 12

 

The first thing I created was a Google Calendar.  The reason why I chose the calendar is because I am always forgetting dates and events.  This way I could stay on top of important times and events.  It was really easy to use and setup.  I also liked that I could link it to my phone because I am not always around my computer.  Getting an alert on my phone the day before is really handy.  I could use google calendars in my classroom to keep my students informed about up coming events such as tests.  I could give them a day to day tentative schedule for that month.  It would be an easy way to keep my students and I on the same page.  Here is a link to my calendar https://www.google.com/calendar/render?tab=wc.  I have only entered a few dates at this time.

The second thing I created using google was Google Alerts.  I am huge Florida Gators fan, so I set up alerts that would be sent to my email about any new information about the Gators.  I am constantly searching for any news regarding the Gators.  This would save me a lot of time searching on the Internet.  This could also be helpful to my class.  I could set up an alert to show me any new Chemistry labs that are inexpensive and easy for high school students.  People are always posting new labs on the Internet, and this way I would not have to spend time searching.  I would always be kept up to date on new information for my class.  Here is a link to my google alerts http://www.google.com/alerts/manage.

Thing 11

The method I found easiest for finding blogs I was interested in were the search tools for blogs.  At first I just tried looking up blogs on my own, but I could not find many that were relevant to the things I was searching.  The blog search tool that I found the easiest to use was Topix.net.  The reason why I liked this search tool the best is because it allowed me to connect to other blogs that had similar subjects.  It was easy to navigate and anybody could use this search tool.  The search tool that was most confusing to me was the google blog search.  That seems weird since I use the google search engine for pretty much everything I do on the Internet.  The reason why I did not like the google search tool is because it really did not display sites that I was searching.  The search also did not display as many similar blogs as topix.net.  I am really interested in college football recruiting because I coach high school football.  I like to see which high school kids are being recruited by certain universities.  I found some very interesting blogs that I had never came across in my previous searches.  I found a really cool Florida Gators recruiting block, which is my favorite team.  The weird thing that popped up during my search of football recruiting was Jr. Pro football coaching openings, which has absolutely nothing to do with college football recruiting.  I used yahoo and google to find blogs.  These sites were not very useful because they were not able to connect me to many different blogs by just clicking on a link that I deemed interesting.

Thing 10

The thing I like the most about RSS and newsreaders is that all my favorite websites I look at everyday are all right on the same page.  Usually I have about four to five tabs open on my computer at all times. I like how RSS decreases a lot of the clutter on my computer.  The thing I don't like about RSS is that some of the sites have things I don't care about reading but they still show up.  It's not that big of deal, but I just thought I would state my only complaint.

I could use this in my personal life to keep up with the websites that are important to me.  This way I could stay informed by only looking at one page instead of many different pages.  I could use this technology in school by subscribing to to different science web sites to give me ideas for my classroom.  This way I could get many different ideas coming through my feed at once instead of having to check many different websites every so often.  This way the ideas would continually show up.

Like I said before it would give me chance to have many science websites coming up on the same feed to give me new ideas for class.  Teachers could also keep up with new laws and regulations in education.  Education is always changing and this tool could just help keep teachers informed.  Also teachers could make their page public, so that their students can look at educational information that the teacher of that class deems relevant to that subject.  It does not always have to be things about class.  It could also be things to entertain your students for instance funny videos.  Lastly teachers always wish there was more time in the day, and this technology could help cut down on some of the time a teacher spends on the Internet checking web sites and looking for new classroom ideas.  

Thing 9

The first image I created was a sign that relates to the class I teach.  I was trying to come up with something clever, but could not come up with anything.  This was my first time playing around with image generators.  It was actually fun playing with these generators.  It was actually a lot easier than I thought it would be to create these images.  The only thing I really had to do was decide which words I wanted to appear on each line.  I could use this in my class by spicing up my power points.  This way students would not get bored just seeing that same thing slide after slide.  Maybe put some of these images to lighten the mood or have a laugh with my students.  Education needs to be fun and interesting for students and I think these generators could help make class fun.  Here is a link to happy face generator.




The next images I created were from image chef generator.  Famous signs always catch my attention when something else is wrote on it.  I always read road signs so I thought both of these would be an easy way to catch someone's eye.  I thought I could use these in my class to make announcements that my students would remember after class is over.  Not saying these would help how teenagers always seem to forget what is important, but it would not hurt anything because we all know they need as much help as possible.  Here is a link to image chef.

Thing 8

ickr.com/photos/burge009/6572395857/">Greenbrier</a>

1. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/davismedia/7057618221/">Football Field 2</a>, 2. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/davismedia/6911534472/">Football Field</a>, 3. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/davismedia/7057601621/">Class Rings</a>, 4. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/davismedia/6925930718/">GHS Blue Lens Flare</a>, 5. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/going-all-the-way/1843740373/">DSC07769</a>, 6. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/39366556@N03/4765401786/">A large crowd turned out on July 3</a>, 7. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/81153020@N00/380868847/">Highway 41 Cafe - Greenbrier, TN</a>, 8. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/39366556@N03/4122425118/">Nelson's Distillery sign in Greenbrier, TN</a>, 9. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brent_nashville/2486181056/">Welcome to Greenbrier</a>, 10. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeremyfountain/5714416118/">Cross Plains Run</a>, 11. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/39366556@N03/4766114176/">clown car in Greenbrier TN 4th of July parde</a>, 12. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/postoffices/8982516725/">Greenbrier, TN post office</a>, 13. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/39366556@N03/4765241820/">YUM YUM OINK OINK</a>, 14. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/gingerge/4480609464/">Like a Christmas Card...</a>, 15. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/39366556@N03/4764573439/">Robertson County he Courthouse</a>, 16. <a href="http://www.fl

I used the Mosaic Maker to create a photo collage of my hometown of Greenbrier, Tn.  I am a teacher and a coach at Greenbrier High School.  I have also lived there my how life besides three years that I lived in Nashville while attending Vanderbilt University.  I wanted my collage to represent me and the hometown I grew up in.  I wanted everyone to be able to get a small taste of my home.

Mashups could be used in my class by having students research different parts of science and coming up with photos that represent something we have learned in class.  The students could come up and present to the class their photos and what they mean to the subject we are learning.  Also I think that it would give a chance for my students to be creative and express their feelings about a subject.  I think this would be a better project than having students do a research paper, and also give the students a chance to have fun with class.

First of all I believe that educators should be held to a higher standard than most people.  The reason for saying this is because we are the best role models that some students have in their life.  When it comes to sharing photos teachers should think about that before sharing photos that could damage a student's views or standards they hold for their teachers.  Teachers should always be cautious and make sure every picture they share online is tasteful and does not contain inappropriate images.  I have no problem with teachers posting photos online, but I do have a problem with teachers posting inappropriate images.  Teachers should remember that someone is watching their life closely and might want to be just like them when they get older.

Thing 7

Picture taken by Laurel Housden, flickr account name madrowaid taken on July 21, 2011.
The name of the photo is The Swamp.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lahousden/5962648688/

This was my first time using flickr.  I had never even heard of this website until  coming across this task during the APSU 23 things.  I explored many different images that people had taken and uploaded to the site.  The website is really easy to navigate, and I also liked that you do not have to be a member to explore people's interesting photos.

The reason why I chose this picture is because I am a huge Florida Gators fan.  I have been a Gator fan since I began watching football around age 8.  The reason why I love the Gators is because my grandfather, "Papa" is an Alabama fan.  They use to play each other in the SEC Championship every year and I just wanted to root against him so I fell in love with the Florida Gators.  The reason for this picture selection is that I have never been to "The Swamp."  I have watched the Gators play in many stadiums, but never at their home field.  This is my dream to go watch a game in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

Thing 6

While searching around the Web 2.0 apps I came across twiducate.  What I liked about this tool was that it was a social network for a classroom.  With students and teachers being into social networking it seems like it would be a perfect fit.  I like that it allows the teacher to control exactly what is on the network.  I also like that it allows students to collaborate and learn from each other.  They can work on problems with each other, and it really allows them to get great feedback from other students and their teacher.  The final thing I like about the app is that I could upload pictures and videos.  With me being a science teacher scientific demonstrations would be great to upload for my students to view.  I believe that this app would be useful to every subject in school.  Teachers could run with this idea and create their own social network that goes along with their class.  Here is a link to the app http://www.twiducate.com/

Thing 5

Web 2.0 to me means the future of learning.  In society today technology runs everything.  Humans are so dependent on technology that we would literally loose our minds if all servers crashed at the same time.  Nothing would work.  People would go crazy and mass chaos would definitely set in.  Most people my age which is only 25 act like the world has ended when their phone battery dies.  They are so use to having that technology right by their side they think they cannot function without it.  The same thing is happening with the way we learn and that is caused by Web 2.0.  Web 2.0 is based on technology but really it relies on us to tell it how to function.  2.0 is about sharing information and ideas.  It is all about collaborating with each other and being able to learn from each other no matter what issue we are trying to understand.  Web 2.0 is teaching us how to learn without having to sit in a classroom and listen to someone lecture and bore us to death until our mind is thinking about what we are going to eat next or when we can squeeze a nap in during the day.  This new wave of the internet is allowing us to be engaged and interact with others.  We do not have to sit back and listen anymore.  We can work with others to have a greater understanding of concepts and ideas.  I know in my case if I do not understand or know something I immediately go to the internet to find the solution.  People are interacting so much with social media now and the internet I am afraid that one day we will not know how to interact in person.

What Web 2.0 means for the future of education is giving the students another outlet to learn.  Students are going to use the internet to learn no matter if we use these resources or not in our classroom.  It is our job as educators to direct the students to use these resources in the right manner.  We have to incorporate this technology into our classrooms because every job that is being created now has to do with being able to use technology.  If students are not getting the instruction in the classroom on how to use the technology then where will they get it.  Web 2.0 is the future of education and it is our job as teachers to embrace the change and run with it.  We should not be afraid of change because if we use these resources they will make us better educators.

Thing 3

What I would use my blog for in the classroom is to show students different kind of demonstrations that we are not able to do in the classroom.  There are so many ways that students can learn about different things in Science.  One of the best ways to learn is to see a reaction actually happen instead of just writing down what happens in their notes.  I know for me if I see something I am more likely to remember how it works or why it works.  Since I teach in a school that does not have all the resources I need to perform certain labs I could find the labs on line and upload them to my blog and let the students watch the demonstrations for homework and write what they learned by watching the demonstration.  Some demonstrations could be very beneficial to the class, but the lab costs to much for the students to be able to perform it during class time.  This would be a great outlet just for them to watch what actually happens during a chemical reaction.
 
Also students could post questions on my blog about anything that did not make sense to them in class and ask for another resource to be posted to give them a greater understanding of the material that we are covering in class at that time.  These are just a couple of things I could do with my blog, but I really see these being beneficial for my students in their learning process.  I look forward to trying to incorporate a blog into my classroom in the future.

Thing 2

I do not have any experience with blogs before this class.  I have never been big on reading other people's thoughts or propaganda.  As I stated in Thing 1 I do not like writing about myself or putting my thoughts on paper, so I have not had any personal experiences with writing or reading blogs.

I just decided to use my name as my posting name just so I would never forget it, or if anybody ever wanted to see what I had learned in this class my blog would be easy to find.  I named my blog coachjla because I love coaching.  I love working with kids so I figured I would try to personalize my blog a little bit.

I thought creating the blog was relatively easy.  It seems to be pretty straight forward and a whole lot easier than I thought.  I like how it gives you step by step instructions on how to do each part of the blog.  If all blogs are this easy anybody could do it.

My avatar reflects my personality because my avatar is smiling and anyone that knows me knows that I always have a smile on my face.  I am a happy person and my avatar looks like his is happy.  Also I chose the shirt that is unbuttoned.  The reason I did this is because in the summer I love to have my shirt unbuttoned and since it is summer it only seems fitting for my avatar to have his shirt unbuttoned.  I created an avatar that looks like my actual self.  I just wanted to see how close I could make the avatar look like me.  Also I wanted people to get a good representation of me and my personality when they look at my avatar.

Thing 1

The easiest lifelong learning habit for me is to view problems as challenges.  I always I look at things that seem to be a problem and try to figure out a solution to fix it.  I like to challenge myself to be able to figure out any problem that is placed in front of me.  I like competition and I view problems and being able to fix those problems as competition.  When I fix a problem it gives me a great satisfaction.  I do not like to go to other people when I have a problem.  I like to solve the problem on my own because I feel like I learned something on my own, and when I learn something on my own I believe I retain it for the rest of my life.
The hardest lifelong learning habit for me is to begin with the end in mind.  When I start a project I can never fully grasp how something will look in the end.  I make decisions when I am doing a project based on what I think is best at the time not what the future outcome will be based on my decisions.  This is something that I have struggled with my whole life.  This is the one life long learning habit that I hopes becomes stronger as I grow older and make wiser choices.
I want to learn things that will help me in my classroom when working with Web 2.0 tools.  Anything that will make me a more effective teacher is what I hope to learn from using the Web 2.0 tools.  I thought it was easy to set up a blog.  I am not going to lie I was skeptical about setting up a blog because I am not big on writing my thoughts and feelings down especially for other people to read.  I like to keep things inside and to myself.  I am a very private person.