Thing #done

Wow.. It feels so surreal to be on my last post.. well I guess not since the entire thing is due in about 11 hours. I thought that all of these things were beneficial in some way, and that they can all be used in the education field if  I ever make it there. My favorite task had to be the animoto video. I thought it was so cool that it was so easy to create. This task, along with all of the things work together to make all of us better educators in the long run. As I said before, every tool that we looked at are great for different aspects of teaching. The assignment was so easily laid out and understandable that a caveman could do it. Haha. I like to see the different web 2.0 tools that come out, and I will continue to look for new things on Google as much as possible. The ole' faithful Goole hasn't ever let me down and I hope it doesn't any time soon.

I am so overjoyed to be done with these things that I just might cry. Just kidding, I really did enjoy this and I hope to maintain it or even make a new blog about my life as a teacher.

To finishing all assignments,

THE Jared Morris

Thing #23

Creative Commons is actually much more in depth than I first thought it would be. There is so much that goes into the process of making sure that credit is correctly given to those who create the actual work. I also never really thought about teaching this to a group of elementary students because it just seems so hard. When we did the Creative Commons assignment in class, I realized just how hard it was for younger kids to understand. I did it, and I must say it was actually very informational. As a teacher it is important to be sure and give credit when using some other work that was not originally created by you. Basically just practice what you preach as an educator.

Thing #22

The three binders that I created are all basically compiled of the three websites that I use the most currently. I am always checking different things on the Austin Peay website too see what's crackin at the Peay. I also compiled a binder for education because I am constantly doing lesson plans and projects that I need things like this for. The last one, and most important in my book, is the Atlanta Braves binder. I am a diehard Braves fan and we're HOT right now! Check out what the Atlanta Braves are doing  now by checkin out that binder.

These live binders can be used by educators all around simply by searching what they need to know. It brings up son many different helpful resources with one simple search. It can almost be used as an educational google. I will definitely be checking this out once I get into my own classroom with the crazy kids that will be filling it.

To binders full of knowledge,

J.R. Morris

Thing #21

My Fist Animoto was a success I would have to say. I really enjoyed creating a video, and reminiscing through all of my photos of my and my beautiful girlfriend. ( I'm lucky I know) I thought it was cool that there were so many different backgrounds to choose from as well as songs. I chosse the song called "Smile" because I am a sappy lover boy. Just kidding I'm not like that at all, but it fit so I used it. I picked pictures of her and myself to go along with the music as well as our animals that we spend entirely too much money on. Overall, this assignment was a nice break from the action of school work that has consumed my life over these past couple of weeks.

To animoto,

Jared R. Morris I

Thing #20

Youtube is an absolutely phenomenal website for almost any circumstance that you may come across. I use it for a laugh most of the time, but it can also be very beneficial for educational purposes. I like to think that I am a humorous person, so I am going to let you guys in on a quite comical video. Teacher Shadow is actually a video that combines the classroom with some humor, sense I think that is a crucial part on any person that will be instructing a room for eight hours a day for five days a week. Hope you all enjoy the video, but don't hurt yourself laughing.

To giggling like a little girl,

Jared.

Thing #19

As I talked about in the last blog post, I use facebook and twitter on a daily basis. I joined TeacherPop, and I have to say I actually like it. It reminds me quite a bit of Facebook, but obviously for teachers. It is actually really handy for teachers to look for things that they may need ideas for, or questions that they need answers to. It is also a good tool for teachers to get acquainted with one another ans share ideas if they are teaching the same grade and/or subject level. I can see myself using TeacherPop often once I (hopefully) get into the education field.

TeacherPop or bust,

Mr. Morris

Thing #18

Facebook and Twitter are two of the most time consuming websites of today's world. Here is my facebook if any of you are interested in being my friend... not that I need friends, but I would love to be yours if you prefer to do so. I also have a twitter, but I don't really feel the need to link that to my blog.

Teachers must know about these sites because students everywhere are going to have this types of social media. This is a common way for students to communicate and waste time. (at least I know that's what I use it for) Teachers also need to have their friends to be able to connect and communicate with their peers as well. I think that twitter is a better site all around. Facebook is so much different than it used to be. It is more of a commercial site for advertising business and things of the like now. With  twitter, hashtags are useful for teachers to look for things that pertain to what is going on in his/her class.

To the Tweeps (and facebookers),

@TheJared_Morris

Thing #17

I thought that Delicious was a cool ideas, but I just do not see myself using a tool like this. The concept is an effective one for teachers and people in general,  but it just does not seem like my cup of tea. It is definitely a useful tool for teachers in all grades as the ideas and bookmarks are relevant to many different subjects, but I feel that I have so many other tools and ideas for my class that this one is just too similar to those that I already have planned to use.

Delicious or not,

J. Morris

Thing #16

I chose to use iGoogle because I have always been a Google man. I use google for everything; even when I know the answer to a question and what to double-check myself. I was also a plus since I already have a google account (or 2) to use. I never knew about this tool, but since it was so easy to use, and quite informational, I will continue to use it as my start up page.

I actually tried out an online calender before this assignment because I have trouble keeping up with things on my own. I failed miserably at checking the calender, so I knew this would not be my cup of tea. I tried it out, and I was right. I just find it too time consuming to get on the computer and check a calender to see what  I need to be doing. I also saw that the checklist worked similarly. I just find it easy to use a pen and paper for remembering things that need to be done. I would recommend using the start up page for iGoogle to anyone who has the urge to organize their everyday web usage.

To google,

J.R. Morris

Thing #15

Wiki has always been one of my favorite websites, but many teachers do not approve of it as a reliable source in the classroom. I enjoy using it because it is so simple and easy; just how I like it. I feel like I will definitely have a wiki page for my students to use simply because it allows them learning opportunities not only inside, but outside the classroom. They can discuss homework or talk about the lesson given that day of they didn't quite understand what was going on. Of course, everyone must be careful since things can be added or removed by virtually anyone, but in my classroom it will be easy to control what is added and such by my students. It will be an overall great tool for students.

In wiki we trust,

JRM

Thing #14

I actually enjoyed using Gliffy for the flowcharts.There were already quite a few templates laid out for people to use, and the website was easy to navigate through. I also thought is was really neat that I could create my own flow chart templates to use now, or later on when I thought it would fit.

Bubbl was the better mind map of the two in my opinion. I actually enjoyed this more than the flow charts. The website was easy to use without having to ask for help or try and work myself through looking how to do things. this would be perfect for my class notes next semester! This could actually be used for portions of tests when I make it to the big leagues of teaching as well.

Keep Calm and Blog On,

Jared R. Morris

Thing #13

Web Based applications are not really a "futuristic" thing anymore. They are here and stronger than ever. I personally enjoy sticking with my Microsoft Office simply because I have used it for so long. Since there are more and more applications coming out, I could possibly make a transfer if I see that a web based application works better for me.

I chose to go with Google Docs out of the choices that were given. I already have a Google account along with tons of other people, and it just ran more smoothly compared to Zoho. I also felt like it was much easier to navigate Google Docs.This would be a great tool for students to work on group assignments inside and outside of the classroom. I can see myself using this in the near future!

Here is my link to Google Docs: Google Docs

Keep It Classy,

Jay Money

Thing #12

I chose to use two very useful google tools that will continue to be used throughout college and in my classroom later. The first thing that I played with was the Google Translate. I find this useful because I am looking to teach in a Title I school system. In most of these systems there are students that can not speak any, or very little English. This tool will help me to communiciate with these English Language Learner students until they can grasp the concept of our language. The other google tool I found useful was the Google Calender that I created. In my calender I have daily activities that I need to accomplish or everyday appointments that I may have. I'm the type of person that will forget their head if it isn't attached to their body. Up until I discovered this tool, I would write everything on post-it notes and hope that  Iwould see them on time. I really like the fact that this calender sends you an email 30 minutes before the scheduled times. It will also send an alert to a smartphone which is a life saver. This calender will benefit me in my educational career simply by reminding me of meetings or appointments that I may have. These are two great tools!

Halfway done,

J. Morris :)

Thing #11

Google. Yes, google. I love google. I don't know what I'd do without google. If you don't prefer google, I don't prefer you. Just kidding y'all. But I really do love google. Get it? Good.

Okay, but really when doing this assignment I went to the other two sites suggested my Dr. Wall, and I had no idea what was going on. The topix.net website was pulling up random information from news stories in Florida and all types of irrelevant information. I could never really figure out how to navigate the website, so I gave up and moved on the the other suggested site. Technorati was actually not a bad site to use depending on what the search is about. I understood the website and it had a decent layout. I would definitely use this before the topix page. Of couse I enjoyed th google page most of all because I am so familiar with it to begin with. The only other site that I use is bing. Bing is pretty reliable, but I always fall back on google. There isn't much competition between the three in my opinion.

Peace, Love, and Google

Mr. Jared Morris

Thing #10

During this exercise, I found out quite a bit of information that I had no clue about. Yet again, this class continues to amaze me with things that can be used in everydsy life or in the classroom. RSS readers are very beneficial. I enjoy this feature because I now have a one stop shop for everything I want or need to look at every morning. I have connected my reader to my gmail account, so everything is right there. I can check my email, look at new technology ideas for the classroom, check the weather before I head to work or class, look at how my Predators and Braves teams are doing, as well as check the top headlines in sports at that particular point in time. No more surfing the web for an hour each morning to see what I've missed while I've been crashing.

This could be an advantage for teachers because they can get all of their popular, and frequently used sites on one page. This would make things much more simple and quick. I feel like the students (depending on age) could have a reader account with things that pertain to their classes as well.

Love,

Me

Thing #9

http://www.fototrix.com/
http://www.happyfacegenerator.com/

While uncovering these generator tools, I had a blast. I actually started making funny pictures to send to my roommates of each other! I don't think they found it as amusing as I did, but whatever. I chose to use fototrix.com to create an image of my favorite baseball player who just recently retired from the Atlaanta Braves. I then used happyfacegenerator.com to make a sign in sequence with the firat picture I created. It was actually much easier to navigate through these pages than I had expected in the beginning.

I feel like these tools can be used in the classroom mostly just for entertainment and visuals for younger kids. The sign generator could be used for the classroom rules, and so on. I believe anything that a teacher can find to enhance their classroom environment is without a doubt a positive thing.

Go Braves,

JRM

Thing #8

I found that these web 2.0 tools were really neat, and fun to use. I ended up using the puzzle maker to create an Austin Peay puzzle picture. My favorite part about the different tools were the fact that they were so easy to use. They were all so simple to create, and upload to the blog.

As for my classroom, I feel like these tools can be used to create posters for the classroom, or other helpful things to hang up around the room. As for the students, these tools can be used to enhance the visuals of their projects or assignments throughout the school year.

I feel like sharing photos online is a personal topic for different people. I do not have a problem with it, and find it rather fun sometimes. Others feel like it could be an invasion of privacy. Those people should simply stay away from uploading his/her pictures.

Gettin' back to the race now,

JM

Thing #7

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/93374390@N07/8490259262/

I have never really used any type of photo website prior to stumbling upon this site through the assignment. I actually did quite a bit of looking and searching before I decided to create my own account. I found that this site is quite beneficial, and can be used for a plethora of different things. Personal use is an obvious advantage of flickr, but I also found that it could be used in the classroom. As a K-6 major, I feel like my students will be easily entertained by small things. I think making a flickr account to use for my classroom would be a fun project for the kids. It could serve as a yearbook or a timeline for just the kids in my class. We could add photos of field trips, projects, class work, and many more things. It could also be used to grab ideas for activities and assignments as a teacher. I will definitely be using this tool in my educational experiences.

Disclaimer: I will get permission from the parents of my students before I post anything of their children on the internet.

With Much Love,

J.

Thing #6

There were a ton of web 2.0 tools that I looked at and thought could be very useful, but my favorite tool was probably the powtoon tool. PowToon is an online tool that can be used to create animated PowerPoints. It can also be used for any type of PowerPoints, but I found it helpful for the animation portion of a powerpoint.

The biggest reason I chose to blog about this web 2.0 tool is because my major is K-6. I really prefer to teach younger age students (1-3) and I know keeping their attention is crucial. I feel like using this tool provides enough features to convey a lesson as well as keep the students entertained. Using graphics and fun exchanges between educational information allows the students less time to become bored or distracted from their learning.

Just some thoughts,

Mr. Morris

Thing #5

Web 2.0 is considered to be the future of education and I would have to completely agree. After reviewing the articles provided, I agree with Steve Hargadon totally. Web 2.0 is very beneficial for students in the school system. Using technology is becoming more common throughout the education field. I feel like the students are more involved in the lessons, as well as with their peers when using technology. The advancement of technology has brought the advancement of education as a whole.

This process has been a long one, but I believe that it has enhanced the quality of education for all grade levels. Educators are able to use technology to interact with students as well as provide assignments for them to complete. This also allows for collaboration among students outside of the classroom using a blog or a created classroom website. This, in turn, stimulates learning at any time. Technology is continuing to become more and more advanced, and this is only going to up the standards of the education field.

I'm Out,

Jared R. Morris

Thing #4

Commenting makes the blogosphere what it is today. Without commenting, there would be no real reason for people to post things. I mean people will get use out of someone else's post, but if the author doesn't realize it's helpful they may stop posting. I believe the author needs to be appreciated publicly for their work. As an author, make the post "comment friendly". If people find it easy to connect with your post, commenting should be easy.

As I was reading the provided posts on commenting I realized just how simple it can be. There are many ways to make your blog easy to comment on. This was pointed out in the problogger blog that I read over. It provided tips to make your blog user friendly. On the contrary, as the coolcat teacher blog stated, there is always going to be somebody that totally disagrees with your post. These people will try to tear you down and get you discouraged. She called these types of people the "Darth Commenter." I found all of the blogs very helpful and useful, but these are the main things that stuck out in my mind.

I decided to comment on five of the students enrolled in the 3040 class this semester. I chose these different people because I found something very useful in each of their blogs that either I thought was helpful or I plan to use something they blogged about in the future.

I commented on Houston Thiel's and allory Johnson's Thing #3. Each proposed great ways to incorporate the blogging experience into the classroom. Mallory talked about having her students share their findings with their classmates about different blogs each week. This provides more than one outlook on an assignment for each student.

Matt Little had an amazing post for thing #4. He posed a plethora of neat things when it comes to commenting on blogs. He talked about how the darth commenter was a big problem, and that it is important not to let that person get to you.

William Graves had a great post for thing #6. He had a great website to use for creating tests and quizzes for teachers to save time. I found it interesting that the website was able to make many different types of questions for one test. It made me wonder how many more websites that I will find useful throughout this class.

The fifth classmates' blog I chose to comment on was Clara Brainard's thing #9. She talked about using the image generator to make posters and things for the classroom. I never would have thought about using such things to benefit my students in the class. It was an all around very helpful post.

On the two blogs that weren't associated with the 23 Things assignment, I chose "The Blog of  Unnecessary Quotation Marks" and "Dumb Little Man." The first blog is basically sheer humor. It shows picture of signs, sentences, etc. that have terrible grammar. I'm not superb with my grammar, but I still find this blog hilarious to read. the second blog is more serious. It has helpful hints on how to save time and money, or just general "pick me ups" to get me through the day. I highly suggest checking out these blogs.

I believe that's more than enought about commenting. Sheesh!

Be easy,

J.R. Morris

Thing #3

The use of blogs in any aspect of education can be beneficial for all who are involved, and to those who are not as well. There are many creative, useful things that can be done in a classroom using a blog. One thing that I would use a blog for in my field would be to keep the parents updated on what is happening in the classroom. They could view projects and assignments that students are working on as well as contact me with questions or concerns. The parents would never have to wonder what their children are learning about or working on. The blog will lay everything out in an easy-to-use format for everyone.

As for my students, I would like to create a classroom blog where they can post their work and discuss assignments with other students. I think kids would enjoy creating a classroom blog together and designing it how they want to.

Personally, I feel like blogs would be the most beneficial for us teachers. We can search ideas that we may have and see if they have already been attempted. We can get feedback on things we have tried or want to try. Sharing ideas amongst our colleagues would help us all!

Thing #2

This is my first blog that I've ever made, so it's definitely been an experience. If it weren't for the detailed instructions that the professor had laid out for us, I would be completely lost. All in all, it has been pretty fun thus far, and I've learned quite a bit already. It is actually much easier than I had anticipated. I decided to use my real name and label my blog "23 Things" for this specific assignment. It's not anything extravagant, but it gets the job done!

My avatar is basically a reflection of who I really am. I chose the same hair and eye color that I have in real life. I chose to put a suit on my avatar because I like to keep it classy. I chose a green tie because green has always been my favorite color. Finally, I chose a baseball and a bat for my avatar because I love the sport. I played baseball from the time I was four until I graduated high school. I actually had the opportunity to play in college, but decided against it. I love the Atlanta Braves and follow them regularly. In conclusion, my avatar is actually the real, virtual me!

Thing #1

This is my first blog, and I'll have to say it's somewhat difficult to navigate. I'm sure as the semester goes along and I learn more about technology it will become much easier. I think that it's crucial as aspiring teachers to be well rounded in education and technology is incorporated in that. I look forward to what this project has in store for my future as an educator.

The tutorial was very informative as a whole. There was a plethora of information that I found helpful in the video, but the main thing that I took away from this was that we are learning constantly. Teachers are also students on a daily basis.  As far as the assignment goes, the easiest habit on the list for me would have to be view problems as challenges. I have always looked at things that are hard, but that I enjoy as a challenge. This project, for example, is going to be an awesome challenge for me. On the other hand, the habit on the list that I have the hardest time with would have to be to teach and/or mentor others. I can fully understand material and content, but sometimes I have a hard time finding the right way to convey the information to others. I try to explain things the way I understand them, but everyone learns differently. The education classes that I've had thus far have been helping me improve in this area. I am hoping to master all of the habits one of these days.