Putting the Pieces Together

Thing 15

noreply@blogger.com (The Weckler) — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 22:14:00 +0000

RSS is great, and truly something that gets easier and easier to understand and love! The more I follow feeds and see what information is available to me, the more I am amazed by how MUCH information is out there for us to access through feeds, readers, etc.

I am a bit obsessed with my feeds and keeping up with them. I even have a very systematic approach to going through them. I like Google Reader better than Bloglines because Reader will hold the Unread items until you click through each new post. With Bloglines, once you click on the feed, it marks all posts as Read.

Keeping up with feeds can become a bit all-encompassing, and sometimes I have to just mark things Unread and let them go. I have also had to take stock of which feeds I subscribe to and get rid of some of them every so often. But, there are so many things that have been added to my life personally and professionally thanks to feeds, that it's totally worth it!!!

Thing 14

noreply@blogger.com (The Weckler) — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 21:08:00 +0000

As mentioned in Thing 13, I have had a delicious account for a while now. And I have used it to gather a ton of resources. Probably too many resources. I think it's kind of a symptom of my position: I can possibly work with every grade level, I end up having to teach every subject area, and I work with students with very unique needs and interests, so I am always packing away things I may need in the future. This happens with actual, physical things, but now with web-based resources, I am collecting them like crazy too!

So, my delicious account info is: meether369 Please add me to your network, if you feel so led.

When it comes to social bookmarking in the classroom, I use delicious quite often for lesson planning, but like I said before, it can be frustrating with the tag issues. I am working those out now, though. I also have subscribed to the delicious feeds of other educators whom I respect and they show up in my Google Reader (like Bloglines). That's a really interesting way to use delicious in the classroom--you can get direct references from other teachers, or even whole school districts that have their own social bookmarking networks!

I would also like to see more of the colleagues in my direct community using delicious so I can link them into my network and we can connect more sources to the content we're teaching. But, at this point, there's no one else from my department/building who has anything up and running! Errr! I look forward to the day when these types of web-based ideas and resources are all common knowledge like calculators or telephones!

Thing 13

noreply@blogger.com (The Weckler) — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 20:36:00 +0000

Tag! You're IT!

I have been a del.icio.us user now for quite sometime. In fact, I have close to 700 educational websites bookmarked. Often times, as I am reading my blogs in Google Reader, I have another window open for delicious and am saving away!

That may seem impressive, but really, it's kind of a mess. And, Tagging is the key. I have tried, midstream, to add more efficient tags, but I still find it difficult to locate what I am looking for.

Here is a common scenario:

In September, Ms. Weckler finds an awesome website including games and lesson plans and videos regarding Space via Successful Teaching. She is really excited because she knows she is going to do a unit on the Solar System in December and this website will be a perfect addition to her lessons. So, she saves it as her 203rd bookmark and tags it 'science' and 'lessonresources.'

December rolls around, and Ms. Weckler is getting her Solar System information together. She remembers that she saw a really cool website earlier in the year, and that the background of the site was pink. Or maybe it was purple?! She can't remember the name of it, though, and doesn't remember which blog originally posted it. But, thankfully, she is pretty sure she saved it to Delicious. She saves everything to Delicious!

So, she heads there and is amazed that the tally at the top now says 452 bookmarks. She's been workin' this year!!! That Space site HAS to be here! So, she scrolls through her tags and finds science. Clicking that, narrows it down to 123 bookmarks. Hmm, none of the links on the first page look familiar or mention space. So, she clicks the "+lessonresources" and that narrows it down to 96 sites. But, none of these are looking familiar either. And none of the other tags seem to fit. So, Ms. Weckler takes the remaining 35 minutes of her prep time looking through the 96 links, but still hasn't found the link she had in mind when her students return from gym.

This scenario has played too many times for me to count! Like I said, I have tried to add more and more tags, but it isn't a fail-safe system at all. I have broken it down by subject, category under each subject, teacher vs student, grade level...and much more. I think my store of bookmarks is a bit too big and that I should have managed it better from the get-go, but it's just too hard for me to let resources pass!

So, on my To-Do List is "Organize Delicious Tags Better."

Thing 12

noreply@blogger.com (The Weckler) — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 10:48:00 +0000

I saw the PBS Art Activity Widget on Mrs. Makowski's blog and I just had to have my own! In honor of Earth Day this coming week, I chose that Activity Pack Widget to put up on my page. I will be doing a number of activities with my students this week--and hope to pull a couple from this widget myself! I hope you all enjoy it too.

I don't fully understand 'code' and what is actually going on when I post things, but I am very grateful for buttons that say "Grab it" and "Copy" etc. I am becoming way more comfortable with the activities associated with blogging and hope to continue to increase my abilities. I am not 100% pleased with the look of my blog, and hope to explore creating my own look at some point. I have been relying on the templates offered so far and haven't found one I just love yet. So, in the future, I would like to figure out how to create my own template...but I think that might be in the distant future!

I am a member of a couple online communities. The friendships that I have gained from forums, etc. are priceless to me. On a daily basis, I communicate with people in online communities more than I do with my family and close friends. I might just be saying something like, "Whoa! I woke up late this morning!" but that is more than I am saying to my cousins, or old classmates. But, that doesn't mean those relationships are AS meaningful as face-to-face relationships. Often times, I feel narcissistic in online communities: I am always talking about myself and only hoping others will engage. If they choose not to, then it's just me talking about myself. In face-to-face relationships, that usually doesn't happen (or at least, we try to make sure it doesn't happen!). The relationships I have gained from online communities that mean the most to me have also become face-to-face relationships. I have met these people, have spent time with them, have had full conversations with them. And in doing so, I have found some of my best friends. It makes sense, too, because we all came together because of common interests, so in person, we have a lot in common and the bonds that began through an online community only grow stronger when face-to-face.

Social networking sites seem to be very popular with kids today because for a number of reasons. They seem to feel isolated. A lot of the activities today are solitary ones. A lot of homes are broken. Kids need to feel like they are a part of something bigger than themselves. We all do. It brings a sense of security and well-being. So, possibly, people are seeking that out in any way available to them. Right now, that's social networking. It's definitely a great thing. I just hope that these kids, and adults too, are able to make personal connections with the people on the other end of the line. For me, that has made online communities all the better!

Thing 11

noreply@blogger.com (The Weckler) — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 10:13:00 +0000

I feel so connected now! Seriously! I spent a good hour or so searching through the other blogs listed at "23 Things" and I really feel like I have come to know my colleagues!

In one of our previous 'Things' where we watched a video about blogs, it mentioned how bloggers rely heavily on the comments made on their posts. It really struck me. I have been a Reader of Blogs for a long time and follow a number of personal and professional blogs. But, at that point, I rarely ever commented. Partly, it's because I read the blogs through Google Reader, so I am not on their individual site with the COMMENT button right there, alluring me. But, also, because I didn't think my comments would ever matter to another person. But, that video we watched got me thinking and I have begun commenting way more than I ever did before. If a blog makes me think of something, I make sure to go and comment. It's just the right thing to do!

It also helps that I now have a blog (or 2!) and I know how very excited I get to read someone else's comment on my content. It's like getting mail or presents! I LOVE it! And, knowing that, I want to give other people that same kind of joy.

When others comment on my blog, it feels good to know that I have been heard, and that what I said means something to someone else--good or bad. It is the 'conversation' of online communities...it is a necessary component, most definitely!

When I am commenting on someone else's blog, I like to subscribe to the feed so I can see what others also have to say. And I like when the blogger responds back to those of us who have commented. Sometimes that can be difficult, but I do appreciate it when it happens.

Sometimes, the things we do online can make us feel isolated. And yes, blogging can make increase vulnerability. But, with online communities, communication is key. Connecting to others out there has really been beneficial.

Thing 10

noreply@blogger.com (The Weckler) — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 09:42:00 +0000

Here is a collection of YouTube videos that I have recently watched personally or in the classroom with my students.

I found this via a link from "23 Things--Thing 9" and the list of example channels offered. Clicking on "In My Language" opened up a whole new world to me. I was not aware of a community of adults with autism who have serious (and valid) concerns about how autism is being viewed and handled by the general public. I have only scratched the surface, but I really want to listen more to them and allow that knowledge to affect how I interact with my students. I don't want my students growing up and looking at the work we have done in their lives as negative. I want to help them find joy and pleasure in who they are and what wonderful things they have to offer the world.

This next one is a video we searched for in the classroom. I have a student who sings all day long and he was singing the recent McDonald's commercial about a Filet'o'Fish which got me thinking about this:

This here is a video that gets another student CRACKING UP!!! Like, fall out of his chair laughing. There are actually a number of logo videos on YouTube that he watches over and over. It always has me wondering, "Who would think to put these on YouTube?" I don't understand it, but I am glad someone out there did it, because it brings so much pleasure to my student.

This here is a staple for my room. My students are all upper elementary, but it doesn't change the fact that they LOVE any form of the Alphabet Song. I don't really know why, but each one will stop what he is doing if any version of it comes on. We recently found the Hooked on Phonics one on YouTube, and the kids went nuts! I actually use a lot of their videos in my ELA lessons to help keep my students engaged. I am so grateful for their YouTube Channel!

With this final one, I thought I would share something we AVOID in the classroom. And, I warn you: CLICK AT YOUR OWN RISK!!! The annoying nature of this series of videos is intoxicating...

(Oh, and yes, I used KeepVid to download a video--"Melissa" performed live by the Allman Brothers Band--it was REALLY easy!)

Thing 9

noreply@blogger.com (The Weckler) — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 09:16:00 +0000

Hey, You!--Tube.

The cultural revolution that sucks hours and hours of our time away thanks to 'replay' and a sidebar of 'similar videos'. For me, it's kind of like a bag of Lays potato chips: I can't watch just one video!

It is kind of amazing to think of a time when people didn't send out youtube videos as jokes, or post them to their Facebook walls. Or, when I would have to actually explain something I saw on TV or in a movie to other people rather than pull it up on YouTube and just show them.

It is also amazing to me what you can find on YouTube. The really cool, the really informative, the really bizarre, and the really, well, dumb. It, like many things web-based, can be a bit overwhelming for an educator to utilize in the classroom. Many times, I just bring up things I think of in the moment. I find 'researching' on sites like YouTube becomes too cumbersome--I get sucked into wormholes of derailment and end up forgetting what I was originally searching for!

That said, though, I do enjoy using video clips in my lessons and to illustrate point to my students. I am beginning to feel a bit like a broken record, but anyway, my students rely heavily on visuals and so this is a very good resource for me to use for lesson planning, etc.

YouTube also ends up being one of my biggest motivators. It is not blocked in our district, so the students are able to search for some of their most favorite videos on their earned free times. This has to be done with direct adult supervision, though. Let's just say, it's ridiculous what some people will dub over cartoons! :o

Thing 8

noreply@blogger.com (The Weckler) — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 17:11:00 +0000

I've been spelling with Flickr...

And mashing with Big Huge Labs (images from my trip to South Africa in 2007)...

And generating with http://www.bodyswitcher.com/ (in honor of my love for Jimmy Fallon and his bit, Head Swap)...

And now I am tired!!! That's a lot of work!! But, it was a lot of fun too. I really enjoyed Big Huge Labs, and I must say, it's because the site itself looked better. What a snob I am.

But, I had a hard time navigating ImageGenerator.org and the links it took me to because of the layouts--a lot of ads, not really obvious directions, a lot of code I am not familiar with, etc. So, while it just seems snobby of me to like the more aesthetic of the sites, I think it might also indicate that students who aren't as familiar with the Internet might have similar difficulty. At least, that is how I justify myself! ;)

I could see this being a BLAST for students of all sorts. My students, specifically, each have their own special interests and they would be totally wigged out to see their faces on characters of their favorite movies, tv shows, etc. HAH!! The idea of it makes me want to do it with them tomorrow--err, Monday.

It is quite time consuming, though. So, if allowing students to work on these types of assignments in class, set aside a lot of time! Also, the students need to have images either on the computer they are using, or uploaded to Flickr (...when using Big Huge Labs--which was another plus for that site--you can access your flickr images for their toys, games, utilities!!). So keep in mind, there is some work to be done pre-playing around and it might suck large quantities of your class time.

But, it's worth it. Totally.

Thing 7

noreply@blogger.com (The Weckler) — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 00:36:00 +0000

My Friend Flickr!

I have been a Flickr user for a couple years now: A paying patron playing picture posting pleasure!

I uploaded some photos I recently have snapped while making my way through Detroit. I tagged them RESA23, and included them in the set named, "Detroit Shots."

Thanks to the last "thing," I am really excited to use flickr to help my students learn about the world around them by seeing real pictures. I can't wait to get searching--and have them search too! My school district used to have flickr blocked, but they recently allowed us access, which I am really excited about. I think the tech department is acknowledging the numerous advantages flickr offers to the classroom.

I also could see sharing photos with my students' families via flickr. It could work in reverse, too: families could share photos from home with us at school to help make further, deeper connections to what we are learning at school.

The possibilities are endless, and truly, I feel a bit short-sighted right now--like I am not even scratching the surface of what I could do with flickr! I am excited to see what ends up coming together!

Thing 6

noreply@blogger.com (The Weckler) — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 23:45:00 +0000

Yikes + Oops = Yoops!

Life has been on overdrive lately and I haven't had a chance to move onto the next 'things' in a while.

So, to make up for my procrastination, here is a picture riddle based off my flickr searchings. Try to guess the terms that I searched for!

Ready?!

Pets and water? Nope.

Cats and plants? Nope.

Happy and Easter? YES!!

For my first search, I was curious as to what kinds of pictures other people would tag with an ambiguous term like "Happy"--and sure enough, there were a lot of really interesting pictures! I work with students who find the job of defining emotions VERY difficult, so I thought that would be a good place to start. (I actually can feel a social studies lesson emerging... ;) )

But, BUT, but!!! I found I couldn't save many of them. So, I had to do the Advanced Search with the "Creative Commons" option to get an image to post to my own blog. (Sidenote: my first choices were these: Happy and Easter.)

For the second term, I am so excited about Spring Break which is HOURS away, that I couldn't pass up "Easter." I was kind of hoping for an image that would be really obscure...not the typical bunnies and eggs and religious themes. There were a lot of Easter Island statue shots which were cool (and one was my first pick linked above), but I loved these raindrops too. So, there we have it!

I really enjoyed this "thing." I personally use flickr to gather and organize my own photos, but I haven't spent much time searching through "Everybody's" images. I have contacts who I like to keep taps on there, too. But, putting in a term and searching the whole site really shows just how vast this visual resource is! My students learn best through visual examples and I can see using flickr regularly to help them see the world in new ways.

Thing 5

noreply@blogger.com (The Weckler) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 05:08:00 +0000

I am regularly impressed/surprised by how technology is giving us so many new ways to define old words...subscriptions, for example. It used to mean (and, well, I guess it still kinda does... ;)), to pay to receive a magazine or newspaper. Now, when people talk about subscribing to something, they are talking about keeping tabs on the every thought and word published by friends and strangers to their liking!

For Thing 5, subscribing to feeds using the various ways on Bloglines was pretty comprehensive and could be completed with relative ease. The only blip that I ran into was that I use Google Chrome for my browser, and there is not a bookmarklet available for Chrome--YET!

I enjoy both professional and personal interest blogs quite regularly. It is really kind of insane how much information is now available to us. Personally, I like to keep up with a variety of craft/design blogs, peek into the lives of a couple friends, and keep a finger to the pop culture pulse. Professionally, I enjoy blogs that offer technology tools and tips, insight into special needs education, and current events/legal happenings in the Special Education realm.

A couple blogs I have come across that might be helpful to others:
http://digitalplay.info/blog/ --A blog that highlights different web-based educational games to keep those techy students engaged in learning...and fun!

http://www.patriciaebauer.com/ --A fantastic source of current events pertaining to and commentary on all things "Disability."

http://www.edutecher.net/index.php --A blog summarizing the newest and neatest techy tools for teachers!

http://www.freetech4teachers.com/ --A source for technological wonders to use in the classroom. Aside from the suggestions themselves, the best part about this blog is the "Applications for Education" section.

http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/ --Larry is a man with an amazing ability to process and gather information made available through the Internet. His lists are simply miraculous!

And, to end, probably my "most looked forward to" blog: http://thepioneerwoman.com/ --Ree is a woman extrordinaire. She does homeschool her 'punks' and occasionally will post education-related content, but really her blog is just a "feel-good-about-being-alive-and-wish-I-had-the-guts-to-live-on-a-farm kind of read." Those are just the BEST kinds of reads, don't you think?!

Thing 4

noreply@blogger.com (The Weckler) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 02:48:00 +0000

Phewww! Trying to catch up to my fellow workshop attendees here! Thing 4: RSS Feeds.

I am kind of more overwhelmed by learning a new reader--Bloglines--than I am the concept of RSS feeds and following multiple blogs at once. I have been a loyal Google Reader subscriber for a couple years now. I am kind of curious, since we're using Gmail and Blogger which has a link to Google too, why are we using Bloglines for our RSS Feed aggregator experience? I am wondering if it is better. Well, I guess I will find out firsthand!

Blogs and RSS are definitely overwhelming, but a reader can become so as well. There are times when I have to "Mark as Read" and start over at "0 New Items"! In Google Reader, there is the ability to star favorite blogs and tag them for future reference. I get overwhelmed with that too--when I go back to look for something I have a vague memory of, I have a hard time finding it even though I have tagged it as many ways as I could think of at the time. I would like to know a better way to organize that which I would like to pull out of the never-ending flow of information!

Thing 3

noreply@blogger.com (The Weckler) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 02:10:00 +0000

Wow! The wild world of blogs! I have engaged with them as a reader for a long time now, but have never ventured in as an author. I guess I am ready to start creating my own news. :)

I am hopeful that my blog will help support the work I do by creating a portfolio of tools that have worked well in the classroom. That way, I can return to them myself, and share them with others. At this point, my students would not be interacting with this blog, but I am hoping their parents might find it helpful to see what works in the classroom.

My only real concern about educational blogging is that I won't use it regularly or properly and it won't actually be relevant. I want it to be useful. I want the time spent to be worth something.

Thing 1 and Thing 2

noreply@blogger.com (The Weckler) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 01:25:00 +0000

Welcome to my new blog! My name is Melissa and I am a special education teacher working with upper elementary aged students with Autism.

I am participating in RESA's 23 Things because I am eternally curious. Lately, that curiosity has been sparked about Web 2.0 and how I can identify and apply new tools to help my students learn. So, when I received word about TWENTY-THREE possible tools, I was hooked!

From Thing 1, I was inspired by the use of teacher blogs to promote cross-curricular planning and professional development.

I spend a lot of time online sharing with and following others and I think I have been a bit desensitized to fear of putting myself 'out there' on the Internet. I try to take some measures to protect privacy where necessary, but really, I don't find myself censoring what I say because it is on the Internet.