Write a blog post reflecting on your exploration of Google+. Be sure to include some names you chose for your circles, communities you joined and your hangout experiences. Be sure to include Activity 7 in your title or tag.
I realized that throughout this week I created circles and attempted a "hangout" without realizing this was part of Activity 7. A moment of "accidental learning" I guess! I reported on my hangout experience in Activity 6 post but I still have to join a live hangout!
As for the circles. I created a family circle which only includes my husband. I also created a Learning 2.0 circle which includes all of you! So if you got the invitation then we can hangout online, live chat, and watch the same youtube videos if your interested. Woohoo!
Friday, June 28, 2013
Week 2 Activity 6: Twitter
Write a blog post sharing your thoughts about using Twitter for professional learning and connection. What were your feelings about a live tweet session like #iledchat? Who did you follow and why? Did you pick up any followers? What have you learned? Title or tag your post ‘Activity 6′.
I successfully created a twitter account so follow me @menewman3. I was also successful in hashtagging (#Learning20) and following people but now I need to recruit followers! Again, I still feel "exposed" without understanding the privacy settings so I will have to play with them!
I followed Maureen C. Miller, Lisa Backus, and Hillary Quagliana because after I hashtagged Learning20 it suggested them as followers. I also will be following edtech stuff when I get around to it! I am open to a live tweet like #edtech from 8-9 as suggested by the link but it is undiscovered terrioitory for me so again, I need to find the time to play!
I learned that Twitter is more than a forum to air your views, personally or politically, but it is a resource. I loved Lisa's link for ThursD 4science, every link is a new door opened I have discovered! I am starting to think that more is better in educational technology!
Explore https://twitter.com/
I successfully created a twitter account so follow me @menewman3. I was also successful in hashtagging (#Learning20) and following people but now I need to recruit followers! Again, I still feel "exposed" without understanding the privacy settings so I will have to play with them!
I followed Maureen C. Miller, Lisa Backus, and Hillary Quagliana because after I hashtagged Learning20 it suggested them as followers. I also will be following edtech stuff when I get around to it! I am open to a live tweet like #edtech from 8-9 as suggested by the link but it is undiscovered terrioitory for me so again, I need to find the time to play!
I learned that Twitter is more than a forum to air your views, personally or politically, but it is a resource. I loved Lisa's link for ThursD 4science, every link is a new door opened I have discovered! I am starting to think that more is better in educational technology!
Explore https://twitter.com/
Week 2: Activity 5 Google Chrome
What did you like and dislike about using Chrome? What did you discover when taking three apps on a test drive?
My first impression with google chrome was that it was as easy as internet explorer. As I played in the app store and with the settings I grew a bit frustrated. I could not the "home" settings to change. It was a struggle when entering the Settings>Appearance>changing browser world. It showed multpile URLs and warned me that I was logged in under dist113.org domain and could only be edited by an administrator. As a result, I had the feeling that I was logged in under multiple users (including dist113.org and gmail.com accounts). In addition, it seemed that I was reverting to IE as a starting point or "home base" and launching google chrome as a new tab from there. Did it seem to anyone else that you were unsure if you were in chrome or IE browser? I am certain it is mainly user-error!
Also, when downloading apps in the store, I found it odd that I was not asked for login information as I am in what I consider the more traditional app store that is linked to itunes log-in. Although the downloading of the app was quicker I had a feeling of being exposed. You know, like why am I not protected by a password and why does it keep giving me warnings that it is going to access all of my contacts and drive information, etc.
While in the app store, I downloaded one or two apps unintentionally and could only "Rate" but not delete them immediately. I was hoping for a drop down menu with delete app option. Once the app was downloaded, I did not know where to go to open it in the google chrome tab. I found little icons in the upper right corner and tried to drag them to the "home" screen for easy access when launched but they would drag there. I still wonder, where are they and how can I see a "list" of apps.
Upon finding the apps, I accidentally took them for a test drive. Hangout app was fun but it did require a plug-in. When I invited people to hangout out it gave me a warning that I do not have a camera but can still hang out with voice and chat. I thought it was neat that you can view the same youtubes, although I kept my window open and nobody joined me to chat so I had fun playing with the hangout effects like laughing and applauding, etc that can be used if you have friends available to hangout!
I did not know that there is also Activity 6&7 so I better do those now...
My first impression with google chrome was that it was as easy as internet explorer. As I played in the app store and with the settings I grew a bit frustrated. I could not the "home" settings to change. It was a struggle when entering the Settings>Appearance>changing browser world. It showed multpile URLs and warned me that I was logged in under dist113.org domain and could only be edited by an administrator. As a result, I had the feeling that I was logged in under multiple users (including dist113.org and gmail.com accounts). In addition, it seemed that I was reverting to IE as a starting point or "home base" and launching google chrome as a new tab from there. Did it seem to anyone else that you were unsure if you were in chrome or IE browser? I am certain it is mainly user-error!
Also, when downloading apps in the store, I found it odd that I was not asked for login information as I am in what I consider the more traditional app store that is linked to itunes log-in. Although the downloading of the app was quicker I had a feeling of being exposed. You know, like why am I not protected by a password and why does it keep giving me warnings that it is going to access all of my contacts and drive information, etc.
While in the app store, I downloaded one or two apps unintentionally and could only "Rate" but not delete them immediately. I was hoping for a drop down menu with delete app option. Once the app was downloaded, I did not know where to go to open it in the google chrome tab. I found little icons in the upper right corner and tried to drag them to the "home" screen for easy access when launched but they would drag there. I still wonder, where are they and how can I see a "list" of apps.
Upon finding the apps, I accidentally took them for a test drive. Hangout app was fun but it did require a plug-in. When I invited people to hangout out it gave me a warning that I do not have a camera but can still hang out with voice and chat. I thought it was neat that you can view the same youtubes, although I kept my window open and nobody joined me to chat so I had fun playing with the hangout effects like laughing and applauding, etc that can be used if you have friends available to hangout!
I did not know that there is also Activity 6&7 so I better do those now...
Week 2 Activity 4: Google Apps Reflections
TASK: Include three ideas for google apps in the classroom, one should be collaborative!
Throughout the google app scavenger hunt I discovered three uses of google apps in my classroom. For example:
1. Forms
I've had a tradition of handing out a form to parents on curriculum night to be filled out during the 7 minute "class" or to be filled out at home and mailed to me here at DHS. Here is a partial snip of what I call the Parent Sharing Form
I discovered through this process that I can create a google form and pick one of these questions to be completed by parents and submitted to me in class. These results would be arranged in a nice, concise spreadsheet to be easily accessed by me throughout the school year. The challenge, as always, is the the time and classroom management. I wonder, should I set up a couple of computers to easily access as they walk in or will this result in a bottleneck and line out the door? Maureen had the following, very insightful, recommendations...
In case you can't read it all, she pointed out that the parents can scan (if they have a QR reader on their phone) the form which takes them to the survey. They can answer it from their phones either during class or anytime later! I am excited to play with the following online form and implement the google strategy on curriculum night 2014!
2. Spreadsheet
The google spreadsheet was a big mystery to me and one that I spent the most time playing with this week. In the past I've had to create and manipulate excel spreadsheets but I did not know how aligned the skills would be with google. Working with the end in mind, I successfully created something that would be useful and practical for my students and fellow chemistry teachers. I am sure it is not perfect but I was able to create a working spreadsheet with formulas, protect the data cells with working formulas, color-code the columns using the conditional formatting tool, and set email notifications to let me know when somebody is using, editing, or updating the document.
I believe this google spreadsheet will improve a chemistry assignment in my class that requires the students to divide and conquer due to the time it takes to perform the calculations. By using the google spreadsheet the students can spend time applying the concept of bond energies instead of the time it takes to look up values and plug them into their calculators. In the end, the students use these values to solve the mystery code ENTHALPY IS ENERGY!
Specifically, in the following google spreadsheet, the students will have to analyze a balanced chemistry equation to determine the total energy of a reaction. By doing so, they will have to apply previous knowledge specifically in regards to the balanced chemical equation and apply it by entering the relevant values into the blue and green columns within the spreadsheet.
This is a collaborative tool because more than one student can access it at once while working together to solve the mystery chemistry message within this classroom activity!
3. Calendars and Docs
In the near future, I hope to go paperless in the classroom. To make this happen, I feel that I need to break this down into steps or categories to make it manageable. By further exploring the google calendar I hope to discover how to do the following to replace my paper homework calendars and handouts-
Throughout the google app scavenger hunt I discovered three uses of google apps in my classroom. For example:
1. Forms
I've had a tradition of handing out a form to parents on curriculum night to be filled out during the 7 minute "class" or to be filled out at home and mailed to me here at DHS. Here is a partial snip of what I call the Parent Sharing Form
I discovered through this process that I can create a google form and pick one of these questions to be completed by parents and submitted to me in class. These results would be arranged in a nice, concise spreadsheet to be easily accessed by me throughout the school year. The challenge, as always, is the the time and classroom management. I wonder, should I set up a couple of computers to easily access as they walk in or will this result in a bottleneck and line out the door? Maureen had the following, very insightful, recommendations...
2. Spreadsheet
The google spreadsheet was a big mystery to me and one that I spent the most time playing with this week. In the past I've had to create and manipulate excel spreadsheets but I did not know how aligned the skills would be with google. Working with the end in mind, I successfully created something that would be useful and practical for my students and fellow chemistry teachers. I am sure it is not perfect but I was able to create a working spreadsheet with formulas, protect the data cells with working formulas, color-code the columns using the conditional formatting tool, and set email notifications to let me know when somebody is using, editing, or updating the document.
I believe this google spreadsheet will improve a chemistry assignment in my class that requires the students to divide and conquer due to the time it takes to perform the calculations. By using the google spreadsheet the students can spend time applying the concept of bond energies instead of the time it takes to look up values and plug them into their calculators. In the end, the students use these values to solve the mystery code ENTHALPY IS ENERGY!
Specifically, in the following google spreadsheet, the students will have to analyze a balanced chemistry equation to determine the total energy of a reaction. By doing so, they will have to apply previous knowledge specifically in regards to the balanced chemical equation and apply it by entering the relevant values into the blue and green columns within the spreadsheet.
3. Calendars and Docs
In the near future, I hope to go paperless in the classroom. To make this happen, I feel that I need to break this down into steps or categories to make it manageable. By further exploring the google calendar I hope to discover how to do the following to replace my paper homework calendars and handouts-
- assign daily homework
- attach the related documents to these assignments
- manage timelines for group projects
- use google docs for group submission
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Week 1 Activity 2- Thoughts about Web 2.0
Initial thoughts about Web 2.0 and role in 21st century learning-
The web is an interactive tool that when used properly can open many doors and create opportunities. It can be active versus passive, realizing the audience is an age of "digital learners." Overall, the greatest impression is that the world is changing, our students are changing, and educators should be open to change too because according to Einstein, it is our role to, " provide the conditions in which they (our pupils) can learn."
Ways it can change practice
Technology separates form and content so it is not just text, but context. It is it links people and information for trading, collaboration and we rethink authorship, trademark, and copyright.
How to use to engage digital learners-
inquiry and tech-based resources are increasing, technology I faster, and most notably computers are exceeding human brain-power. it appears that the goal is to produce a generation that can use the web to move away from textbook learning and toward tools that utilize the web to search and ultimately prepare multimedia presentations.
How to support own learning and why would you want to?
Increases competition, cooperation, and collaboration which in turn produces a creative learning space between students and global peers.
The web is an interactive tool that when used properly can open many doors and create opportunities. It can be active versus passive, realizing the audience is an age of "digital learners." Overall, the greatest impression is that the world is changing, our students are changing, and educators should be open to change too because according to Einstein, it is our role to, " provide the conditions in which they (our pupils) can learn."
Ways it can change practice
Technology separates form and content so it is not just text, but context. It is it links people and information for trading, collaboration and we rethink authorship, trademark, and copyright.
How to use to engage digital learners-
inquiry and tech-based resources are increasing, technology I faster, and most notably computers are exceeding human brain-power. it appears that the goal is to produce a generation that can use the web to move away from textbook learning and toward tools that utilize the web to search and ultimately prepare multimedia presentations.
How to support own learning and why would you want to?
Increases competition, cooperation, and collaboration which in turn produces a creative learning space between students and global peers.
Week 1 Activity 1- Reflections on Lifelong Learning
Q: which will be most challenging to employ?
A: using technology to my advantage will be the greatest challenge. I operate best with the "less is more" mantra and often get overwhelmed with the number of technology options and the reliability. Often times I do not have the knowledge to problem shoot or the time to identify reliable resources for myself and students to use as research tools within the classroom. I see technology as a collaborative tool and I hope to turn adversity into opportunity during this summer web seminar.
Q: which is easiest to employ?
A: given this learning 2.0 opportunity is during the summer I hope to use the extra time to play with various technology opportunities and remain patient with any obstacles I endure to make technology a positive teaching tool. Play with the blog, discover reliable resources, identify opportunities for collaboration within this course that can be implemented effectively in my classroom.
Q: which is most important to move through this course?
A: developing a toolbox is essential for success in this course and beyond. Developing a toolbox that is not unilateral, rather dimensional with many reliable links is essential.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)