WebQuest Website

During my spring semester, I was able to create a free, one month membership to WebQuest. Unfortunately, my time has expired but now I am able to create and use WebQuest.

Wiki

After taking an Information Media class at St. Cloud State University, I am now able to create and use a Wiki. I thought it was cool that a Wiki allows you to add, change, update and revise the information already posted online. It is accessible by anyone and anyone can add their information about the topic. That can be very helpful because the more opinions, the better. It's a way to see it through a number of people's perspective; it's like asking 10 people and getting all their answers at once.

The only downfall to a Wiki is that allows anyone to post their information and sometimes there will be an idiot who feels the need to share their unintelligent, but if people who are at average or above average intelligence can either post the correct information or fix it, it shouldn't be something to worry about.

Although Wiki's are very useful and easy to use websites, I don't think I will let my student use it as a resource if I assign them any type of research paper because it has the potential to be total nonsense. I would assign them to use credible sources such as .org, . edu, or .us.

Google Docs

After exploring some of the different available features on Google Docs such as the Google Calendar, iGoogle, Picasa, and Knol, I believe it would be very helpful in the classroom. The calendar could be extremely helpful because it allows you to put any necessary information on it or create an event. It also allows you to print it off, so in a sense, you can create your own calendar.

The iGoogle allows you to customize your Google homepage. You can add games, access your Gmail account, The piece I found most interesting was the that it allows you to personalize the banner on top of the Google homepage. I have never done that on any other website before. I was also able to set up a St. Cloud weather forecast on my homepage, so I will be aware of the current temperature before I even step outside my apartment.

The Knol could also be useful for teachers who have a lesson plan written up, because it allows you to share the information you have with the world. You can read, review or even write your own Knol. There are a wide variety of topics already on there, so it could also be used as a resource for a research project or an in class discussion.

The Picasa is an easy to use and free resource that allows you to organize, find, create, edit, and share your photos online. Personally, I see that as more of a social networking piece, but it could also be used for classroom purposes like creating a self portrait or a slide show for class.

Overall, I think the Google Docs can and will be very beneficial for my class because who knows what type of presentations I will be using in the near future. They may all come in handy someday and it's to my advantage to be able to use all the different Docs that Google features.

Moodle vs. D2L vs. Blackboards

After splitting up into groups and researching the different options of programs that are currently available for a classroom to use, I am now very informed about different types of programs such as Moodle, Blackboads, and D2L. I found that it is much more efficient and realistic to use Moodle because it is simple and free. It allows more options for customizing, specifically for your classroom. D2L is would be my second choice because it is cheaper than Blackboard, although Blackboard has more features. Personally, I have the most experience with D2L, simply because it is the current program that St. Cloud State University is using. I think it is very simple to use and operate, so I would consider using it in my classroom. The last one was Blackboard, I would love to have one in the classroom but with the amounts of funding teachers are limited to, I don't think it is very realistic to get one in your classroom. Overall, I thought it was interesting to learn about the differences between the three programs.

Google Docs vs. Zoho Writer

For tonight's class, we were assigned to become familiar with and compare two free alternative word processing programs. The two programs were Google Docs and Zoho Writer. They are very similar to "Microsoft Office," except they seem to be a condensed version and don't have as many features. I found that it was easier to use Google Docs because the toolbar was more like Microsoft Word, although Zoho seemed to have more features. It could be very useful in the classroom because I could have my class use that program, which allows them to save and retrieve their documents from any computer. After completing this assignment, I am now fully able to create and use documents on both Google Docs and Zoho writer.

Bloglines

Tonight I created a Bloglines account. I think it will be very useful for my blog because it allows me to check and see if anyone posted on my blog by checking my new Bloglines account. I don't know how much I will be using it for my personal life, but I know it will benefit me in the classroom.

Homerun Hankie

Every year, my family and I purchase season tickets and attend many Twins games. I have grown up playing and watching baseball and my entire family, including my grandma are avid Twins fans. I can't remember one year where I was unable to attend at least one game. Hopefully I will be able to afford a trip to Fort Meyers, Flordia soon so I can watch the Twin's Spring Training.

Image Generator

Image Generator is a really cool program that allows the teacher or student to have fun and make a wide variety of images that fit their style. It is also useful for making labels for certain projects students are working on.

I know it will benefit me too because at the beginning of each semester when I don’t know all of the students names yet, I will be able to make name tags for them.

Flickr II

One of the most useful things I have found on Flickr is the styles of slide shows. It allows a variety of things to be put on, such as pictures from the Internet or pictures from your personal camera.

I also think my students will have fun with Flickr too, because it has many ways for them to set up their online picture gallery.

Flickr

Tonight in class, I created a Flickr account. In the technological world that we live in, resources that Flickr offers are important tools that help you find, organize and use photo's in various ways. I can use and store pictures of different activities for my classroom. These tools, such as videos will help keep my class on task and will also help to demonstrate proper techniques in areas such as sports, stretching, weight lifting, and countless other topics.

Social Networking

When I was a junior in High School, I created a Facebook account. The reason I created an account was because many of my classmates and friends were getting them and I felt it was a great way to stay connected. It was also the only social networking group that appealed to me. Now that I am in college, it has proven to be a very easy and convenient way to stay connect to my friends and family that are many miles away from what I now call "home". The thing I found most interesting about Facebook is that it allows you to post and view pictures of others. I believe that is the reason why many people are joining social network groups such as Facebook, MySpace, Ning, Gather, and WebJunction.
Now that I am in the process of becoming a teacher, I have found many more ways to utilize this website in my classroom for educational purposes. For example, if I would be to assign my students group work, they could create a group on Facebook and stay connected through that website.

Week One

This is my first blog entry, it has been a long time since I have used a Mac Computer. Today in class we discussed the types of projects and assignments we will be covering during this semester. The projects we will be working on sound challenging but yet interesting and I think this class is going to be very beneficial for the upcoming years. I also think creating my own website will be pretty cool.

1/14/09